I Do It For You
by LovelyinLavender
Summary: Summer 1986. Up until this point, El and Max hadn't met the Party. But a chance encounter at Benny's changes all that. What do you get when the Party discover's El's powers, townsfolk begin disappearing rapidly, and a mysterious man returns to Hawkins? One hell of a summer. Rated M for language, scary moments, and sexual situations.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**I DO IT FOR YOU**

_Prologue: Summer, 1985_

Billy Hargrove was your average, ordinary 18 year old guy, until there was one night when he wasn't.

He had a father, a stepmother, and a stepsister. The four of them had come from California to Hawkins last year, and Billy hated every second of it. There was zero fun to be had in Hawkins. All he wanted was to go back to California and spend time with his friends, his surfboard, and _her_.

Billy's mom had left him and his dad when he was a young boy. It both broke his heart, and made him angrier than he'd ever been. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that she left him, and it wasn't fair how his dad had been treating his mom. But Billy loved and missed her so much. She had to be in California, still, after all this time. She loved the wind and the waves just as much as Billy. She was the one who introduced him to surfing, after all.

Until he could save up to go back to California, however, he was spending his summer working at the Hawkins Community Pool as a lifeguard. Swimming in the Pacific Ocean had trained Billy well, and he was one of the best lifeguards they had. The pool also experienced quite an uptake in female attendance while Billy was working. With his brooding stare, washboard abs, and golden skin, he was extremely easy on the eyes…and he knew it, too.

He smiled as he worked, thinking of one of the pool's regulars. Karen Wheeler and her friends were fun to get riled up. They brought their kids to the pool almost every day, and Billy could feel their eyes on him as he walked on the pool deck towards the lifeguard stand. He made sure to add a little extra swagger to his step for their benefit. "Probably the most excitement they get all day," he thought. But secretly, the ladies weren't the only ones enjoying themselves. If Billy was being completely honest with himself, Karen was actually kind of hot for a mom. He remembered one particular day when she was climbing out of the pool after doing laps. It was like the pool scene with Phoebe Cates in _Fast Times at Ridgemont High_ had come to life. With her wet hair slicked back, and her swimsuit clinging to all the right places…

"Shit," he muttered under his breath. Upon looking down, he saw he now had a problem that needed attending to. But not now…not when he needed to finish closing up the pool. It was dark now, and all that was left was locking up the equipment and the gate to the pool. He'd just have to hang onto that image for later when he got home, or maybe he'd make a detour to Cindy's place after work. She was always willing when he was…

With a quiet click, Billy locked the padlock to the equipment shed. Just as he was turning to go out the pool gate, a flash caught his eye. One of the lights in the pool was now blinking slowly. "That's odd," he thought. Usually if those lights were burning out, they would just go off. As he watched the light, it began blinking faster, more erratically. Billy couldn't look away – it was hypnotic. He began edging closer to the side of the pool where the light was, almost like a magnet was pulling him closer. Suddenly, the light stopped blinking and grew steadily brighter – so bright, it made Billy shield his eyes – until…

Nothing.

The sudden absence of light was a shock to Billy, and he stumbled and fell before his eyes could adjust. His palms stung on the concrete as he caught himself, and he knew he probably had gotten badly scraped. "Fuck," Billy yelped. He blew out a long breath and stayed seated for a few extra seconds to collect himself.

Billy didn't realize it, but those few extra seconds had cost him dearly.

He didn't realize that the breath he expelled masked the sound of the gurgling inhale behind him.

He barely had time to register the arms the were now around his upper body, pulling him to God knows where.

All Billy knew from then on…was darkness.

* * *

I'm back! I hope you'll take the time to review my story – it would mean a lot. I'll try to update every week or so. Lots of ideas rattling around in my head.


	2. Chapter 1: Run to You

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Run to You**

_One year later. Summer, 1986._

There's a certain feeling in the air when summer arrives – an excitement that was dormant during the winter and spring. The nights are longer, the days are hotter, and hemlines get shorter. Even though you know summer never lasts, you can't help but feeling like it could go on forever.

Of course, Hawkins is no Florida or California, but the people in that small town had their ways of savoring summer, too: beach days at Lovers' Lake, bonfires at the quarry, camping trips, and afternoons at the arcade. Another popular hang out spot, especially among teenagers, was Benny's Burgers. It was this little hole-in-the-wall place, home to the best burgers and milkshakes in town…which was ironic, because it wasn't even really in town. The restaurant backed up to a wooded area, practically in the next town over. Maybe that's why it appealed to teens. It was their idea of a getaway, without actually leaving Hawkins.

Another great thing about Benny's? Every Friday night during the summer, he allowed a local band to play a set on the back patio. Benny Hammond might have had a gruff exterior, but he loved kids, and loved giving them a chance to show off their talents. Tonight's band? Rules as Written, or "RAWWWWW" as Dustin would snarl among his bandmates. He was all for just calling the band RAW, and have that be their public image. But he was quickly vetoed by Mike, Lucas, and Will. These were D & D lovers, after all. They didn't want their name to sound like something a professional wrestler would scream at a match.

While we're on the subject of D & D, these boys were about as obsessed as you could get. Despite being 15 years old, they still held a campaign almost every weekend…and had no intention of stopping any time soon. They were very devoted D & D players, so it only made sense to name their band after D & D terminology. The idea of forming a band came up during one of their campaigns a couple of years ago. Mike wasn't a bad guitar player already – there was an old guitar in the basement that he found himself strumming sometimes. Dustin used to be in choir. Lucas would always drum along with a song on the radio. Will was a wealth of musical knowledge, mostly thanks to his older brother Jonathan.

After practicing and a lot of hard work, the boys were ready to make their debut at Benny's. Little did they know that two of the show attendees would change their lives forever.

* * *

El Hopper and Max Mayfield were the best of friends. They had met last year under very strange and tragic circumstances…in the woods, of all places. Max's older stepbrother Billy hadn't come home from work one night, which wasn't unusual for him. But what was unusual was the fact that his body had been found face-down in the Hawkins pool the next day. Max hated her brother's erratic behavior, but had loved him just the same. She was heartbroken, and ran off to her secret hideout in the woods. Max had found the empty tool shed after one night when she wanted some peace and quiet. Her stepfather Neil was yelling at Billy for one reason or another. The little tool shed was perfect for her. She decorated the walls with posters of her idols Ralph Macchio and Tony Hawk. She also kept some pillows, blankets, a change of clothes, Eggos, Twinkies, Capri Sun pouches, and a Walkman on hand. As far as Max knew, nobody knew about the shed in the woods. Imagine her surprise when she walked up to it that fateful afternoon, and found the padlock on the door busted open.

She slowly opened the door – house keys in hand, ready to stab whatever scumbag had broken in. That was not necessary, however, as the perpetrator was sound asleep under her blankets. Said perpetrator had to settle for a verbal tongue-lashing.

"Who the FUCK are you?! And how DARE you break my lock!"

The sleeping person let out a startled cry and sat up, revealing themselves to Max. _Holy shit_, Max thought to herself. This hardened criminal looked no older than she. At first glance, it might have been a boy – the hair was shaved so short. But no…it was a girl, and she looked scared out of her mind.

Max tried to soften her tone. "Look, I'm sorry I swore at you, but you can't just break into things that don't belong to you."

The girl was puzzled. "Break. In," she asked softly.

"Yeah, break in," Max said, cocking her eyebrow. "You know, like when a door is locked and you force your way in? Like what burglars do?"

The girl did not look like she understood any better. "Brrr-guh-lurrs?" She tested the word, and how it felt to say it.

_Who is this space cadet, _thought Max. She knelt down next to her. "That's right. Burglars. People who come into people's houses, and sometimes they take things that don't belong to them. Did you take anything of mine?"

"No," she shook her head emphatically. "Just sleeping. Was cold."

Something was definitely weird about this girl. For starters, she didn't seem to understand what Max considered to be basic vocabulary. Secondly, her appearance. There was the shaved head, but she also didn't have any shoes on, and looked to be wearing only a hospital gown. And was that dried blood under her nostril…? Max felt suddenly compassionate. She had just lost her brother, but this girl looked even more rough. Where did she come from, and how long had she been wandering around?

"Listen, I've got some other clothes you could put on. Would you like that?"

"Yes."

Max handed her a t-shirt and sweatpants, then turned around to give her some privacy while she changed. "So what's your name," she asked after a couple of minutes. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned around to see the space cadet extending her arm towards her. Max squinted at what looked like a tiny tattoo spelling out the numbers _011._

"Holy shit," Max exclaimed. "You're like my age. What are you doing with a tattoo? That's pretty badass." The girl shook her head, pointed at the tattoo, then pointed at herself. "Wait, is that your name? Eleven?"

"Yes."

Max felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. It's like she didn't really understand the world anymore. First, her brother dies…then she finds a strange girl with a tattoo in the woods. Who tattoos a child, shaves their head, and dresses them in a hospital gown? And what about the blood under her nose? Max felt the sudden need to protect her.

Tears welled in her eyes. "Well Eleven, my name's Max…short for Maxine. Can I call you El? Short for Eleven?"

El smiled shyly. "Okay."

"Okay," Max agreed. "So, do you want to come back to my house with me? My stepdad's an asshole, but my mom's alright. We can take care of you."

The blood drained from El's face. "No."

"What do you mean? You don't want to stay out here in the woods. Let's go."

Max pulled the handle on the shed door, only to have it ripped from her grasp as the door slammed shut. She turned around slowly to look at El, who now had fresh blood dripping out of her nose.

"No."

* * *

The girls talked during the rest of the afternoon. El learned about what had just happened to Billy, and Max learned more about El. And there was a LOT to learn. For starters, El was telekinetic. She wasn't sure why she got a nosebleed after she used her powers, but she figured out that she needed to limit herself so as not to get drained. As for where she came from, it was hard for El to describe, but Max was able to piece together that she'd escaped from Hawkins National Laboratory. She lived there her whole life, while doctors tested her brain activity and abilities. She hated it there. She never got to go outside…never got to have treats…never got to go to a real school. All these people that were supposedly her "friends" were the same ones that threw her into a tiny cell when she didn't do what they wanted. But she had managed to escape the lab during the aftermath of an experiment gone wrong.

El never wanted to go back, and so it was very important that her existence outside the lab be kept a secret.

Max was suddenly fearful, because her little shed was in fairly close proximity to the lab. If anyone started looking for El, there's a good chance they would find her here. She didn't want to think about what would happen to El or herself if that time came.

The girls both agreed that El would stay at the shed for that night only, and then they would figure something else out for subsequent nights. Max was grateful she'd had snacks and drinks on hand. She also showed El how to use the Walkman before she left for the night, so El could listen to music.

"I promise you…I'll be back tomorrow morning, El," Max said, as she took one last look around.

"Promise," asked El.

"Yeah, it means something you can't break. Ever," explained Max. She reached over and gave El a tentative hug. "I'll see you tomorrow. Sleep good."

El didn't have to be told twice. She snuggled under the blankets and drifted off into the best sleep she'd ever had. Needless to say, Max stayed true to her word and was back in the morning. And she continued to prove to Eleven that she was someone that could be trusted over the next year.

* * *

The girls were so excited about the show at Benny's tonight. They hadn't really been able to venture out together, so as to keep El protected. But it had been mutually decided that after a year, they could probably take it a little easier.

In her quest to ensure El stayed safe, Max found an ally in someone surprising: the Hawkins chief of police, Jim Hopper. For about a week or so after El escaped the lab, she stayed in a different place each night. During this time, Max feverishly researched a more permanent place for her to stay. She also tried to find out more information on the lab, to get a sense of what El might have gone through.

Max got more than she bargained for.

As she scrolled through old volumes of the _Hawkins_ _Post_, she read stories about kidnappings…Project MK Ultra…sensory deprivation tanks…lawsuits…

A familiar face caught her eye.

Chief Hopper and his then-wife Diane were on the front page of the newspaper in 1979, well before Max and her family had come to Hawkins. They had sued the lab after the death of their daughter Sara. According to the article, the Hoppers lived about a mile from the lab. One afternoon, Sara was playing outside when she suddenly collapsed. She was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead upon arrival. The cause of death, according to the autopsy, was asphyxiation. Doctors found a large piece of cookie lodged in her throat. But the chief was immediately suspicious. Diane was outside with Sara the whole time, and Sara was never given any snacks.

The article continued to detail how Chief Hopper had taken samples of dirt in his backyard and had them tested for toxic substances. Those samples tested positive. But when he presented those findings in court, the lab responded with their own samples…which were negative. The inconclusive test results, plus the cookie found in Sara's throat meant the lab was found not guilty.

Hopper was heartbroken. Unfortunately, the stress over their daughter's death and the results of the trial put a strain on his and Diane's marriage. They divorced not long after.

Here Max thought Hopper was just some grumpy old douchebag who hated fun – he always seemed to pop out of nowhere and tell her to stop using her skateboard so much, that skateboarders ultimately became pot-smoking burnouts or got brain damage from falling so much. For starters, Max had no intention of becoming a burnout. She liked school – science especially – and wanted to go to college. Secondly, Max NEVER fell off her skateboard. Even if she were to, at least she'd have her helmet on.

But maybe Hopper had a reason to be grumpy. Maybe he was still hurting.

Max vividly remembered going to visit Hopper that first time at the police station, armed with her new knowledge. At first, he refused to talk to her about the lab. But Max was persistent. She told him all about El: how she had escaped, how she had been treated at the lab, and how she stumbled on Max's hideout. Max could tell the wheels were turning in Hopper's head. He asked where El was staying at that moment. Together, they went to see her in the alley behind The Hawk movie theater. Max had created a makeshift fort for El out of wooden pallets.

She knelt down to let El know that a friend wanted to meet her – a REAL friend, not like the mean ones from the lab. Her secrets were safe with Hopper, and he would not send her back to the lab. After a few seconds, El nodded her assent.

As soon as Jim Hopper came face to face with El, it was like a dam burst. At the sight of her little face and shorn hair, the tears began to flow. All the memories of his poor Sara came flooding to the forefront.

El had been studying Hopper ever since he walked up with Max. She seemed to see something in his face that she trusted, and she gently touched his hand with hers. "Okay," she asked softly.

He let out a long exhale and nodded feverishly, wiping his eyes with his free hand. "Yeah, sweetheart. I'm okay. I think the more important question is, are you okay?"

"Am now," responded El slowly. "Better with Max."

Max smiled happily, thankful that El was able to trust her. "Thanks, space cadet. I'm better with you, too."

"What is space cadet?"

"Shit! Sorry, never mind," fumbled Max. "It's nothing."

"Anyway…" Hopper began, "El…Max told me about where you came from, and what happened to you. Like she said, I promise you, I won't tell anyone about you. It is important to me that you feel safe. Alright?"

"Alright."

"Good," said Hopper with a smile. "Now, I understand you've been staying in different places around town?"

Max rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Yeah she has. I wish we could have found her nicer places to stay, but I don't really have a ton of money."

"It's okay, Max. You did good. You protected El," Hopper assured her. He then turned to El. "Listen, kid. I don't have a ton to offer you either. But I do have a cabin. We can fix it up nice…make it like a home. No one knows about it – well, except the three of us – so you'd be safe. But I've been looking to get out of my piece of shit trailer for a while. And I could use someone to share the space with. What do you say…want to stay with me?"

El's eyes shone brightly with unshed tears. "Home?"

"Yeah, kid. Home."

For her own safety, El was not allowed to leave the cabin. Instead, Max visited almost every day. She tutored El in reading, math, and science. Hopper was a big history buff, so he was the unofficial history tutor.

Under Max's eye, El became something of a girly girl. She loved makeup, and trying on the new clothes Max would bring her. She and Max also loved watching soap operas that came on TV in the afternoon. Hopper would always roll his eyes when one such show would come on, but if it made El happy, then it was worth it.

"El? Hellooooo?"

El was broken out of her thoughts by Max's voice. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"What about?"

El put her arm around Max. "I'm happy we met. And I'm lucky."

Max smiled. "I'm happy we met, too…but listen, the band's about to start," she said. "And I'm pretty sure Mike is checking you out!"

"Who is Mike?"

"One of the guys in the band. He's the tall, skinny guy with curly, dark brown hair. I go to school with him and the other guys in the group. They're alright…kind of nerdy, but alright. I didn't know they played instruments, though. Anyway, the other guys are Lucas, Dustin, and Will…"

Max continued to chatter as the band finished setting up their equipment. But El had tuned out after Max described who Mike was. He was DEFINITELY the cutest boy she had ever seen. Even cuter than the guys in the TV shows she and Max watched. Her eyes roamed across his angular face, peppered with freckles. She also had the sudden urge to touch his hair. It looked so soft.

Suddenly, Mike looked in her direction. She gasped and looked away, but not before she noticed just how deep his eyes were. She could get lost in them forever.

El chanced another look at Mike, who was still looking at her. This time when she looked up, he blushed and gave her a shy smile.

_Oh. My._

This was going to be a great night.

* * *

Some backstory and ending fluff! Please leave a review.


	3. Chapter 2: Summer of '69

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Summer of '69**

Mike Wheeler was a talented kid. At 15 years old, he was great at school, he'd won numerous science fairs, was the youngest president of the Hawkins High AV Club they'd ever had, he could write interesting and fun D & D campaigns, and was on his way to becoming proficient on guitar.

With girls, however, it was a different story.

Mike could not get a girlfriend for the life of him. It was two-fold. He had an awkward personality to begin with. This was a guy who was so random, it should have been his middle name. He was a wealth of knowledge on lots of different subjects. Mike tried to infuse these little tidbits into conversations…but it didn't always go smoothly. He also liked imitating people's voices. One minute, he was speaking like regular Mike. The next minute, it was Mike's British cousin. Oy vey.

The second facet was that he always seemed to turn into a sputtering mess around a pretty girl. Mike would either clam up or get a horrible case of verbal diarrhea.

But maybe tonight, his luck would change.

Mike spotted the pretty girl the moment she walked into the crowd. Her brown hair was short and wavy. She was wearing a cool black shirt with blue splotches on it. The splotches almost looked like planets in the Solar System. He couldn't help but wonder if she'd like to go stargazing with him one night. Finally, her jeans were held up by a pair of dark blue suspenders. He liked her style!

"Dude…uh, who are you looking at?"

Mike spun around frantically to face Dustin, who was giving him a shit-eating grin. "What? Nobody…why?"

Dustin made a tsk-tsk noise and shook his head. "Au contraire, my friend! I know that look, and it's the pretty-lady-alert look."

"Pretty lady," interjected Lucas, popping up from behind his drums. "Where at?"

"Somewhere in the crowd. Ask Mike," replied Dustin. "He's been staring at some girl. He had that dopey look on his face."

"Fuck off," Mike hissed. "My face is NOT dopey."

"Guys, come ON," said Will. "We need to finish setting up. Do you want to sound like total assholes tonight?"

Dustin threw up his hands in exasperation. "God damn it, Byers. Why do you have be all logical and shit?

Will wagged his finger at his friends. "Will the Wise…and don't forget it."

As they went back to work, Mike felt the sudden urge to check out his pretty lady again. He couldn't suppress the grin from forming on his face as he saw her look frantically away from him. Seems as though he wasn't the only one who was interested. But he was caught off guard when she shyly looked back at him. Mike felt the redness of a blush stain his cheeks as he saw just how hazel her eyes were; how pink her lips were.

She wasn't merely pretty. She was beautiful.

* * *

El smiled back at Mike, his dark eyes seemingly sparkling as she did so. Her gaze moved down the long expanse of his neck to where it ended at his shirt collar. She had the sudden urge to kiss the exposed skin there…

She really needed to stop watching so many soap operas.

"Hello! Earth to El Hopper! Come in, El Hopper!"

Max's voice snapped her out of her reverie. She inhaled shakily. "Yes?"

Max cackled. "Maybe I should start calling you Mrs. Wheeler instead."

"Who's Mrs. Wheeler?"

"You, if you play your cards right."

El frowned. "Play my cards?"

"It's a figure of speech. Wheeler is Mike's last name. You're obviously smitten with him. I can only imagine what it'll be like when the two of you actually meet. Probably nothing but kissing all day." El couldn't help but smile at the thought. She'd be okay with that.

"But anyway, who knows," continued Max. "If you guys get along and things go well, 10 years down the line…you could be married."

El thought about how marriage was portrayed in the books she read, and TV shows/movies she watched. Sure, in some of the soap operas she saw, there was some over-the-top drama. But for the most part, marriage seemed okay. It meant you got to have a lover and best friend for the rest of your life.

As El continued to ponder this, Benny Hammond stepped onto the stage. He lifted his arms to quiet everyone down. "Can I get everyone's attention? We've got a real treat for you tonight. It's their first time playing for you all. Please welcome to the stage Hawkins' own…Rules as Written!"

The guys stepped up to their respective instruments amidst the light applause – Will smiling shyly, Lucas pumping his fist in the air, Dustin hamming it up and bowing to the audience, and Mike…

Well, Mike…

"Ello, 'Awkins! I'm The Paladin! 'Oo's ready to rawk?"

Mike's nervous laugh/squeak broke the silence that followed.

"Um, Mike. I'm Mike."

"Nah, you're just a frog face," came a shout from the back of the crowd. Mike didn't have see him to know that it was his nemesis, Troy.

"And you're just an asshole," spat Dustin into the microphone, followed by a chorus of "oooooh's" from the audience.

"Hey," shouted Benny off to the side, "Less swearing, more music!"

Dustin saluted in Benny's direction. "Yes sir! Sorry sir!"

Eleven had been watching the exchange between Mike and this other _mouthbreather. _While she didn't quite understand why Mike had started talking differently – or what a Paladin was, for that matter – she thought it was pretty rude of this other boy to call Mike a frog face. His face in no way resembled a frog. She should know – she'd been staring at it for quite some time.

She was lucky, however, that she happened to glance behind herself in the direction of the mouthbreather. He had a Styrofoam cup of what looked like strawberry milkshake, and was preparing to throw it directly at Mike.

_Not on my watch, _she thought.

It was like time slowed down. As Troy began to wind up, El concentrated as hard as she could on that cup. Almost immediately after it left his hand, it exploded in mid-air, raining down on the girl in front of him.

"EEEEEEEEK," she screamed. "Troy, what the fuck?!"

For his part, Troy looked mortified. "Holy shit, I didn't mean to, Stacy! I was aiming at frog face!"

"Aim better next time, you douche!" With that, she grabbed his t-shirt collar and dumped her French fries down his front.

That was all it took for someone to yell, "FOOD FIGHT!"

The air then became a mess of screaming, milkshakes, burgers, and hot dogs. El had never seen anything like it. She looked frantically around for Max, who from the looks of things, was joining in on the food fight, too. Max was crouched behind a chair, and was scooping up fries from the ground to throw at people.

El swung around to try and figure out what her next move was, when suddenly, she was splashed clear in the face with a stream of chocolate milkshake. She gasped and covered her eyes, the intrusion making them water and burn.

As she began to sink to the ground in fear and pain, she felt a pair of arms lift her back up. "Are you okay? I've got you."

She wanted to cry in relief, but also in embarrassment. This was not how she wanted her first meeting with the cutest boy on earth to go. Plus, she was covered in chocolate milkshake.

El tried to open her eyes amidst the stinging, but could only just squint. Her vision was blurred, and Mike's face swam in front of hers. "Mike?"

"Yeah, I'm Mike. Let's get you out of here."

He got her inside as the melee continued, and helped her into the bathroom. "Come on, we've got to rinse your eyes out. I'll hold your hair back if you rinse, okay?"

El nodded feebly. "Okay."

Mike gently pulled her hair away from her face as she began to splash her eyes, taking care not to accidentally tug too hard. Some of the strands of her hair were coated with sticky milkshake, and smelled like chocolate. But Mike could also pick up on something flowery and fresh. He'd have to do some research later and figure out what it was.

After a few minutes, El reached up and turned off the water. Mike handed her a wad of paper towel to dry her face. Thankfully, the stinging had subsided quite a bit, and El could now freely look up and see her rescuer up close.

Good lord.

He was quite a bit taller than she – a good 6 inches taller. El liked that. She could just imagine snuggling in his arms and tucking her head under his chin. But up close, El was able to see just how many freckles Mike had running across his nose and his wonderfully sculpted cheeks.

"Hey…are you okay?"

His voice snapped her out of her trance and she looked back into his eyes. His beautiful, dark eyes… Ugh, El was turning into a sap.

"Yes. Thank you, Mike."

"Of course, m'lady." _Shit._ Why did his British accent have to come out now? Mike smacked his forehead in embarrassment. He wasn't expecting, however, that El would try to mimic him back.

Her eyes screwed up in concentration as she tried to form her words in this new voice. "You ah soooo coined."

Mike grinned hugely. It was clear this girl was not great at accents – who was he kidding, neither was he – but she was trying. No one, and certainly not a girl, ever played along when he got this random. He needed to hold on to this one. But first, he needed to find out her name.

"So, I don't really want to have to call you milkshake girl from now on. What's your name?"

El grinned back at him. "El. Short for Eleanor." This was what she and Hopper had agreed would be her formal name.

"El…that's really pretty."

She had been doing very well with her social skills and mannerisms over the last year, and had learned a great deal. But occasionally, she did slip up. Like when, for example, her hand suddenly made its way into Mike's thick hair.

Ugh. She had guessed right. Soooooo soft.

Mike was frozen in place – not expecting El's reaction, but not shying away from it either. He kind of liked it, actually.

"What kind of shampoo do you use?"

He barked out a laugh, but quickly stopped when he saw El's face. Apparently, it was a genuine question. He just hadn't thought he'd be talking with her about shampoo.

"Um, I'm not sure. It's whatever my mom buys."

"Well, I like it. It makes your hair all fluffy."

Mike had the sudden urge to run home and find out what shampoo it was…then buy his weight in that shampoo.

He could feel his cheeks getting red. "Thanks. I, uh…I like your hair, too."

El giggled. "Thanks." She was suddenly aware that her hand was still in Mike's hair. But she couldn't bring herself to care. And he wasn't stopping her either.

She decided to let her hand roam across his cheek, and all the freckles that were there. "Like stars," she murmured.

"What," Mike asked just as softly.

"The freckles on your face," El clarified. "There are so many…they look like stars."

Mike remembered that he wondered if she'd like to go stargazing sometime. He decided to be brave and just ask. "Hey El?"

_Bang._

The bathroom door flew open, breaking the couple out of their bubble and revealing a smirking Max. She looked behind herself and shouted, "Found 'em!"

Dustin appeared around the corner, his eyes covering his hands. "We're not interrupting anything are we? Were you two sucking face?"

"Or sucking something else," cracked Lucas.

"What? No," Mike shouted. He respected El way too much to let it go that far that quickly. Not that he was opposed to doing that at some point…

El had only known Mike for about 10 minutes, but she already felt extremely loyal to and protective of him. He had rescued her, after all. She didn't really understand this conversation about _sucking_, but it seemed like Mike was being made fun of. She found herself getting mad, not just at his friends but at Max, too.

She fixed Max with a steely glare. "Mike was helping me get shake out of my eyes. Where were you, Max? Oh yeah, you were throwing food, too."

"Hey," Max retorted, "I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have abandoned you like that. I kind of just got caught up in everything. You know? Someone throws a burger at you, and you throw something back."

"No, Max, I don't know. I don't get why people would just throw food for fun. You're supposed to eat it. I'm sure a lot of poor little kids would love those fries you were throwing."

El's voice had gotten progressively more choked up, and Max's face softened. She suddenly realized that El was referring to her time at the lab, and she felt horrible about it.

Max moved forward and gathered El in her arms, whispering apologies again and again. The minute Max's arms enveloped her, El broke down.

While all this was happening, Mike was looking past El and Max at his friends. They were all confused at the emotional turn this had taken. But they were good guys, and they wanted to offer their support in any way they could.

After a few moments, the girls broke apart, El wiping her eyes. Will, who had been silent this whole time, spoke up. "El, is it? I'm Will. I'm a friend of Mike's. I don't really know you, but if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm a good listener."

Lucas stepped forward next. "Hey, El. I'm Lucas. I'm always happy to help out a friend in need, even new friends."

El looked at the group of guys. "You want to be my friends?"

"Definitely," said Dustin. "Max said you were awesome when we were looking for you. And we always love to have new friends. I'm Dustin, by the way…at your service!"

Dustin, ever the ham, got down on one knee and opened his arms. El giggled and gave him a hug. "And I always like to make my friends laugh!"

"And what about me," questioned Max. "Are you guys my friends now, too?"

"Hell yeah," said Lucas, a little too enthusiastically. Everyone glanced at him questioningly, and he chuckled sheepishly in response. "I mean, yes. You're pretty cool. A little scary, but cool."

Max snorted. "I am not scary."

"Uh, yes you are. I saw you stuff a French fry up someone's nose out there. Plus, you have a skateboard."

"Newsflash…having a skateboard doesn't make you scary."

"Oh I'm sorry, does it make you _totally tubular?"_

"I do not say totally tubular!"

"EXCUSE ME! CHILDREN," Dustin cut in, "Can you please pipe down? We've got to get out of here. Benny told me he would reschedule us for another day…once the place has been cleaned up."

El let out a little whine. "But we never got to hear you guys play."

Mike smiled comfortingly. "We can play for you anytime we want, El. Just name a time and we'll do it."

"_Yeah _you will," Max quipped, causing the other guys to stifle their laughter.

"Anyway," Mike cut in "You guys want to go out for some food or ice cream or something? And actually eat it?"

"Actually, we probably need to get going, El," Max said, looking at her watch. "Your dad said we needed to be home by 9, and it's 8:45."

El could feel her body deflate. She'd loved being out for the night. It had been an eventful time, that's for sure.

"I don't want to go," she said quietly, looking directly at Mike.

He smiled tenderly back at her. "I don't want you to go, but I don't want you to get in trouble with your dad either. We can hang out another time."

This seemed to placate El, and they all walked outside together, chattering animatedly. It made El smile when she saw Troy helping Benny pick up food and trash from the food fight. Served him right.

"Hey El," Mike began, letting the others walk ahead, "It was awesome meeting you tonight. I really would like to hang out with you another time."

El's stomach clenched in excitement. If she could do a backflip, she'd probably be doing one now. "I'd like that, too, Mike."

Mike let out a shaky exhale. "Can I have your phone number?"

"Yes," El nodded feverishly. "Do you have any paper?"

"Uh…" Mike dug around in his pockets and fished out a napkin and a pen. He wrote down his number, tore it off, and gave it to El. "This is mine. Write down yours."

El eagerly pocketed Mike's number, wrote hers down, and gave it to him. "I can't wait to see you again," she said honestly.

"Me too! That is, I can't wait to see you, too."

"El, shouted Max, "We gotta go!"

El turned to see Max straddling her bike, and began to walk towards her. But something inside her told her to be bold. She ran back towards Mike and kissed him quickly on the cheek. "Thank you for rescuing me," she said.

Mike let out a little squeak in surprise, but cleared his throat to try and cover it up. "Anytime. I'll call you tomorrow."

El smiled and bit her lip. "Okay. Night, Mike."

"Night, El."

She ran back to Max again, smiling giddily. She couldn't believe she'd actually done that. As she hopped on the back of Max's bike, she let out a little squeal.

"Someone's happy," Max commented as she began to pedal towards the cabin.

"Max, he's so cute," El gushed.

"Yeah, yeah. I know he thinks you're cute, too. It's super obvious. When are you seeing him again?"

"Soon, I hope. He said he'd call me tomorrow."

"Woah, woah, woah," Max said in surprise. "You gave him your phone number? What are you going to tell Hopper when he calls?"

El hadn't thought about that.

_Well, shit._

* * *

Hola, readers! I hope you're enjoying my little story! Some summer fluff and fisticuffs this chapter. Please leave me a review.

Chapter title is taken from the great Bryan Adams…as is the story title and Chapter One as well. He was HUGE in the 80's (listen to the albums "Cuts Like a Knife" and "Reckless!"), and is still touring today. Bryan was a major source of inspiration for me, and I want to try and use one of his songs as a title for each chapter!


	4. Chapter 3: Straight from the Heart

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Straight from the Heart**

Mike paced back and forth in his basement the next morning, butterflies in his stomach. His mind was still reeling from the previous night.

…The gig that was, then wasn't…

…The food fight…

…El's hand in his hair…

Fuck. He should have grabbed her and kissed her, not just stand there like a statue.

But NO! If he did that, he might have scared her off. She'd already been through enough, what with getting splashed in the eyes with milkshake. And anyway, what if she didn't want him to kiss her?

_Okay now that's just stupid, Mike, _he thought. _SHE kissed ME first!_ She probably would have been okay with him kissing her.

But what if he was bad at kissing? He'd never kissed anyone before.

"Gahhhhhh."

He let out a moan of frustration and sunk down onto the comfy sofa. Seeing an opened bag of Doritos, he grabbed a chip and ate it. It was never too early for Doritos. A little stale, but still edible. Oh, the standards of a teenage boy…

After Mike had finished off the bag of Doritos, his brain started working again. El was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. She had a great sense of style, obviously had an interest in music, played along with his British accent…it was just easy with her, and he wanted to get to know her better.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to just jump in and call her.

He grabbed the phone off the hook – a little too aggressively, as it let out a faint ring noise – and dialed her number.

He was not, however, expecting to hear a familiar gruff voice pick up.

His eyes went wide. "Chief Hopper?"

* * *

Jim Hopper was many things. Hawkins Chief of Police. Avid watcher of "Magnum P.I." Maker of triple decker Eggo extravaganzas. Adopted father to El Hopper.

Ready to start receiving phone calls from teenage boys? Hell no.

"Yeah," he responded questioningly back at the pipsqueak on the other line. "Who do I have the displeasure of talking with this morning?"

"Um, Mike Wheeler, sir. Why are you at El's house? Did something happen? Are she and her parents okay?"

Hopper's heart started to beat a little quicker than usual. How did Mike and El meet? He knew she was supposed to go to Benny's last night with Max, but he had hoped they would just go, listen to music, and come home…be a little more inconspicuous. NOT be giving boys their phone numbers. Plus, there was the big question…how much did Mike know about El? Over the last few weeks, he'd only started telling a select few people the story that had been concocted about how and why he suddenly had a 15-year old in his care.

"This is MY house, dumbass. And I AM her parent."

Hopper smiled as he heard Mike sputter into the phone. _That's right, kid, _he thought. _You don't know who you're dealing with._

"Uh…what?"

"Yep, she's my daughter. She didn't tell you that?"

"No, um…"

"Listen, you seem to be a little confused. Why don't you try back when you can say more than just 'uh' and 'what', okay? Have a nice day." With that, Hopper hung up the phone with a satisfied cackle.

He knew who Mike Wheeler was. Admittedly, there could have been a lot worse calling his house. Mike was a good kid – squeaky clean with an even squeakier clean family. But…he was still a teenager, and teenagers were known to be assholes some or most of the time.

…And speaking of teenagers, he heard footsteps coming down the hallway from the bathroom. It was time to get some answers.

* * *

El woke up late, having been physically and emotionally tired after the events of last night. But she awoke with a smile on her face, remembering her time with Mike. She couldn't wait to talk to him today.

But…oh no. She still had to have a chat with Hopper about the fact that Mike was going to call. No matter. She needed to shower first. That always helped her calm down.

As El lathered up her hair to the desired consistency, she took a deep breath in and out. Her shampoo was lavender scented. She fell in love with the scent after Hopper brought her a bouquet of lavender after he got home from work one day. She took one sniff and was hooked. That original bouquet was dried now, but she still kept it hanging in her room. Plus, it was purple!

Purple was not a color she got to see a lot of. There were plenty of grays and browns in the confines of the Hawkins lab, but not purple. It was one of her favorites. To El, purple meant freedom.

She got out of the shower and was starting to dry off when she heard Hopper laugh. Probably watching "Magnum P.I." again. He couldn't get enough of that show. Sometimes, she and Max would watch it with him. Hopper thought himself a perfect replica of Tom Selleck, and would often say so. Max would then quickly add that just because he had a mustache, that did not mean he looked like Tom Selleck. Maybe that's why Hopper picked up a couple of those loud, button-down shirts from the store…

Her stomach growled, reminding her that she needed to eat breakfast. She threw on some clothes and quickly padded down the hallway. "Good morning, Hop."

Hopper turned around, an overly sweet smile on his face. "Morning, sunshine," he greeted enthusiastically. "How's my girl this morning?"

El frowned in confusion. He was never this chipper in the morning. Until he had about 5 coffees in him, Hopper was pretty monosyllabic.

"Fine…why are you so happy?"

Hopper carried two plates of Eggos to the breakfast table and gestured for El to sit down. "I can't be happy? I've got a good job, a tasty breakfast, and a beautiful daughter…I'm a lucky guy."

"Okay. Cool," El said, still mildly confused.

"Yep, cool," agreed Hopper. "So tell me, how was Benny's last night? Was the music good? Food good? Give any boys your phone number?"

_So that's what this was about_, thought El. She put her fork on her plate and looked down, her face heating up. "How did you find out about that?"

"Mike called when you were in the shower. He seemed pretty shocked it was me on the other end of the phone – got all tongue-tied. I told him to call back when he sounded a little more sure of himself."

El gasped. "You WHAT?! What else did you say to him? You weren't mean to him were you?"

"Hey, don't you think I should be the one asking questions? You give a boy your phone number and he calls here…I mean, what else happened? Did you tell him where you live or about your powers? Have any cozy chats about the lab? You have to be careful about what you say, for Christ's sake!"

"I'm not stupid," El said, defensively. "I didn't tell him anything. Mike is nice. He helped me."

Hopper snorted. "Helped how? He stick his tongue in your mouth or something?"

El's eyes began welling up at the tone of Hopper's voice. She wordlessly got up from her seat and walked into her room, slamming the door behind her.

"Shit," Hopper muttered, laying his head in his hands. He needed a cigarette. Digging around in his pockets, he found one, walked onto the porch, and lit it. He took a few deep drags to clear his head, then started to try and process the conversation they'd just had.

He hadn't meant to be cruel. God knows HE was the one sticking his tongue in plenty of ladies' mouths when he was a teenager. That was rude to say. In his heart of hearts, he knew that El would never jump in so quickly…or even Mike for that matter. It didn't excuse any of his behavior, but Hopper was worried sick. In the back of his mind, he was always worried that someone from the lab was going to find out where El was. Sure, they'd covered their tracks wonderfully. El was now allowed out a little more, and her appearance had changed a lot. But that didn't mean the risk was completely gone.

Adding to Hopper's worry was that El was growing up fast. She had started getting interested in clothes, she was so smart – adding to her vocabulary every day, and had started noticing boys. Up until this point, they'd only been the unattainable kind in movies or TV shows. But the boys in the real world, these were the ones who could hurt her. He wanted to stop her from getting hurt for as long as possible, but he knew that wasn't realistic. Getting hurt was part of life, and part of growing up. Still though, if Mike and El were going to be hanging out more, there were going to have to be some ground rules.

Stubbing out his cigarette butt on the porch railing, Hopper went back inside to try and coax El out of her room. They needed to talk.

He approached her door with some trepidation. You did not want to piss off a telekinetic teenager.

"Hey El," Hopper said softly, "Honey, can you open the door please?"

"Go away," she replied as she thumbed through one of the magazines Max brought over.

"El, please. I want to talk to you."

"Well, I don't want to talk to you." El could think of lots of things she'd rather be doing right now. Talking with Hopper was not one of them.

"That's fine. I'll talk, you listen." Hopper slid down the wall until he was sitting next to her closed door. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry about what I said to you earlier. It was cruel. Even if you HAD kissed Mike, it's not any of my business to throw it back in your face. I just worry about you, and I want you to be safe."

"I WAS safe with Mike," El replied. Shit. So much for not talking to Hopper.

"I know you were. Much as I hate to admit it, Mike's a decent kid. But you growing up…that's not all that worries me. Every day, I worry that one of those assholes from the lab is going to find you – that they're going to take you away and I'll lose you. And I can't lose you, El," Hopper explained, his voice beginning to tremble.

There was silence for a long time on the other side of the door. Hopper thought maybe she had gone back to ignoring him. However, he was pleasantly surprised to hear the doorknob turn and for the door to swing open.

He didn't waste time, quickly scrambling to his feet and walking inside. El was seated on her bed, ankles crossed and arms folded across her chest.

Hopper gestured to the foot of the bed. "Can I sit down?"

El shrugged. "I guess."

_Damn teenagers_, he thought. So infuriating and so loveable at the same time.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Hopper thought it was going to be him that broke the silence. Surprisingly though, it was El who spoke first.

"You won't lose me, Dad."

Hopper grinned hugely, despite the worry he still felt. For the most part, El continued to call him Hopper or Hop. But every so often – and it seemed to be becoming more frequent now – she would call him Dad. It made his insides turn to mush.

"Thank you, sweetheart. But you just don't know. We've done all we can to protect ourselves, but what if it's not enough? What if the bad men find you?"

"Then I'll crush their brains," replied El matter-of-factly.

Hopper started to laugh until he saw how serious her face was. "What?"

"I have powers. I'm stronger than them."

"Yeah, you probably are. But you can't go draining your energy like that. I see what happens to you when you use your powers too frequently."

It was true. El would turn practically comatose and would need to spend hours resting and refueling.

"That's why," Hopper continued, "I think it would be better for everyone if the bad men just didn't find you at all. That's why we've played it safe for so long."

"But I'm tired of playing it safe," confessed El. "Last night was fun. I want to keep having fun."

Hopper patted her leg. "I know you do, kid. And I do want you to have a social life. So that's why I think…it might be okay to continue that."

El's eyes widened infinitesimally. "What does that mean?"

"It means…that you can invite Mike over here."

"REALLY?! What about Lucas, Dustin, and Will?"

_Christ, there were more of them, _thought Hopper. "Now hang on. We've got to set a few guidelines first. We will start with Mike, and ONLY Mike. I'm going to pick him up and bring him here. I'm going to observe. Maybe if I'm generous, I'll feed him something. There will be no funny business on my watch. We are going to sit and talk. And only then will I determine whether or not you can continue to see him."

"Can we go in my room?"

"Why would he need to go in your room?"

"So that we can listen to music. I like music. He likes music. He plays guitar."

"Okay, we'll listen to music. We can start with my favorite song – _You Don't Mess Around with Jim_."

El rolled her eyes. "Nooooo. Not that song."

Hopper looked offended. "What's wrong with it?"

"You do that weird dance when you play it. It's creepy," El explained with a shudder.

"I do not dance creepy. ANYWAY, we're getting off subject," he huffed. "Do we have a deal?" With that, Hopper stuck out his hand for El to shake.

The thought of seeing Mike again was too much to resist, even with Hopper's stupid restrictions in place. El smiled and grasped his hand. "Deal."

"Okay, good. Now, I'm starving so I'm going to finish breakfast. But I believe you have a phone call to make."

El frowned in confusion. "A phone call?"

"Jesus, who have we been talking about this whole time? Call Mike, and tell his ass to be ready to go later."

She didn't have to be told twice. With a squeal, she jumped off the bed and ran out to where the phone was.

Hopper let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He really hoped he wouldn't regret this.

* * *

Hola, readers! What did you think of our overprotective/snarky Hopper? He's so much fun to write. Anyway, the drama will start to ramp up a bit in the coming chapters. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.

I'm going to try and crank out another update before I leave on vacation next weekend. So keep your eyes peeled.

Of course, this chapter's title inspiration is courtesy of Bryan Adams! Please leave me a review!


	5. Chapter 4: Somebody

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Somebody**

As he drove to Mike Wheeler's house, Hopper kept the radio off. Usually, he liked to listen to music on the road, but not today. He needed a clear head.

It was an interesting mix of emotions that Hopper was feeling. For starters, he was nervous. The more people that knew El's history, the riskier it was for her. In all likelihood, they didn't have anything to worry about with Mike. But he couldn't be too careful. Mike was going to get the full debriefing: El's real backstory, and the story that the public was allowed to know.

In addition – and in true Dad fashion – Hopper was feeling a little territorial. He knew that having an interest in boys was just part of growing up. But this was HIS daughter first, and it would do Mike well to remember that.

Pulling up to the Wheeler home at the end of the cul de sac, Hopper put the car in park and was preparing to walk up to the front door, but there was no need. Mike must have been watching for Hopper, because as soon as the car door opened, so did the Wheeler's front door.

_Jesus, how long does this kid plan on staying, _thought Hopper. Mike had on his backpack – which looked like it was about to pop, it was so full – and was holding his guitar in one hand and a red rose in the other. Great.

Hopper rolled his eyes as Mike opened the back door and put his bag and the guitar back there. He kept hanging on to the rose carefully.

"Wheeler," Hopper greeted shortly.

"Chief," responded Mike just as shortly.

They rode in silence for a while. Mike was drumming his fingers softly on his leg, excited to see El, but curious about the cloak-and-dagger way it was happening. He had volunteered to ride his bike over, but El said Hopper wanted to pick him up and bring him there. Not to mention, he had a ton of questions. How the hell did he not know Hopper had a daughter? How come she'd never gone to school with them all? Where does the Hawkins Chief of Police call home?

_Why were they driving deeper and deeper into the woods?_

He decided to just get the ball rolling. "So Chief, how's it going?"

Hopper snorted. "That remains to be seen."

Mike gulped. "Oh, okay. Well, how is El doing?

"You'll find out soon enough, kid."

This wasn't going at all well. Hopper was acting like he was mad at him, but he'd done nothing wrong…at least as far as he could tell.

"Um…did I do something? You're not in a very talkative mood," said Mike.

"Perfectly fine, Michael," Hopper replied brusquely. "Just because I'm not filling the silence with awkward questions, doesn't mean I'm not fine."

Sheesh. Someone was touchy. "Okay, um, but you didn't really answer. Did I do something wrong?"

Hopper sighed. This kid was annoyingly persistent. "Yes and no…how's that?"

"Confusing," Mike said honestly.

"Well, we're practically there, so you won't be confused for much longer."

All Mike could see were trees. "Where is 'practically there?' We're in the middle of nowhere."

Suddenly, Hopper turned sharply off the main road and onto a small one-lane dirt road, practically hitting trees as he sped through the forest.

Mike screamed for his life. He was going to die. Hopper was going to murder him and chop him up into little pieces. He was never going to play for El…or take her out on a date…or kiss her.

The car screeched to a halt, and Hopper got out. Mike was frozen in his seat. The sun was starting to set a little, creating an almost eerie glow in the dark forest.

The sound of Mike's door opening broke him out of his trance. He screamed once more at the sight of Hopper holding an axe, and covered his face with his hands. "Oh my God, please don't hurt me. Don't hurt me!"

"Why the hell would I do that?"

Mike slowly took his hands down away from his face. Hopper was still holding the axe, but was raising his eyebrows at Mike. His mustache twitched slightly, suggesting he was holding back a laugh.

"We're in the woods. You're holding an axe. I'm pretty sure you don't like me very much. What am I supposed to think?"

"Well let's see," Hopper began, "Our house is right over there. I picked up the axe – which was laying on the ground right outside your door – so you wouldn't step on it. As to whether or not I like you, I don't even know you. But El likes you. And she'd have my hide if anything happened to you. Just don't be a fuck up. Then I'd have to use this on you for real."

Mike's eyes had started to adjust to the growing darkness, and he spotted a cozy little cabin through the trees – the windows all lit up. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he slowly got out of the car and grabbed his things.

"Watch the trip wire, kid," Hopper warned as they walked.

Following Hopper's lead, he stepped over a seemingly invisible wire strung between two trees. But upon further inspection, noted the fishing line about a foot above the ground.

Hopper waited for Mike to join him on the porch of the cabin, then knocked twice, once, three times. _"Us" in Morse code_, thought Mike. _Interesting_.

After a brief pause, Mike heard the door unlock. It swung open to reveal a smiling El, dressed much more casually than the night before. She had on jeans, a t-shirt, and a short-sleeved flannel shirt over that. He couldn't help but notice that she had on purple toenail polish.

She was the cutest thing he'd ever seen.

* * *

El nervously paced the floor of the cabin while she waited for Hopper and Mike to return. She desperately wanted Hopper to like him, and hoped that he wasn't doing anything on the drive to make Mike feel uncomfortable.

The plan was to give it to Mike straight. She wanted him in her life, so telling him everything seemed to be the right thing to do. She could only hope he'd take it well. If he wasn't going to, it was best she knew now before things got serious. But El wasn't terribly concerned. Mike had been so sweet and kind to her yesterday, and she had a feeling he would be very accepting about who she was.

Before long, El heard the rumble of Hopper's car, and then what sounded like a scream. Strange. Maybe just an animal out in the woods.

_Tap-tap. Tap. Tap-tap-tap._

Not wanting to appear overly eager, El took a few breaths in to compose herself before unlocking and opening the door.

A smile lit up her face as she saw Mike standing there. He was wearing a light blue polo shirt, which looked great against his pale skin. Like last night, his long neck was exposed, and El desperately wanted to kiss it.

"Hi," she said shyly.

"Hey," Mike replied, trying to act nonchalant on the outside. On the inside, the butterflies in his stomach were having a dance party.

They both stood staring at each other in silence for a while until Hopper cleared his throat. "Look, this is really fun. But can you please let us in, El?"

She chuckled nervously and stepped aside. Hopper strode straight over to the refrigerator and cracked open a beer. Mike stopped in front of El and put his backpack and guitar on the floor. He held the red rose out to her that had miraculously survived the insane drive to the cabin.

"This is for you. It's from my mom's garden. I got rid of all the thorns so you wouldn't hurt yourself."

El's cheeks reddened, and she took the rose from Mike, holding it up to sniff. "It's beautiful. Thank you. She grows these?"

Mike chuckled. "Yeah, like almost obsessively. She swears by planting them in a mix of, like, Miracle Gro and eggshells."

"What?"

"Yeah, super weird. But whatever works, I guess."

El nodded and gestured towards the kitchen. "I'm just going to put this in water. Do you want to sit down?"

Mike turned and looked towards where Hopper was semi-reclined in his La-Z-Boy. He gulped, but agreed nonetheless. "Yeah, sure."

Walking over to the sofa, he sat down and began to drum his fingers on his leg again. After a few moments of avoiding looking at Hopper, Mike chanced a glance. But he immediately looked back down at his lap, as Hopper was fixing him with an intimidating stare.

_Get back in here quickly, El, _Mike thought.

After what felt like an eternity, El joined Mike and Hopper in the living room. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down shyly. "I'm sorry it took so long. I was trying to find the perfect place for the rose."

"Oh yeah? Where is it," asked Mike.

"On my bedside table," said El, "So that I can see it when I wake up and go to sleep."

Mike smiled so hugely, it felt as though his face was going to crack in half. "Cool."

"Ahem," interrupted Hopper, "This is all fine and good, but the three of us need to have a little talk."

Right…the reason they were all there. In the excitement of his arrival, El forgot that she needed to tell Mike her story. If they were going to have some kind of relationship, he needed to know the truth.

She turned to face him. "Mike, I want to get to know you more. But there's something I need to tell you…about myself. You have to promise to never tell anyone this. Ever."

"Or else your ass is grass," added Hopper.

"Uh…yeah. I promise."

Mike was confused as hell. He could only hope whatever she had to say wasn't bad – that she wasn't sick or dying or something.

"Mike, about a year ago, I came to live with Hopper. He's not my bi-o-log-i-cal dad," she explained, sounding out the larger word slowly. "He found me."

"Found you where? Like a foster home or something," Mike asked.

El shook her head. "No, on the street. I escaped. From Hawkins Lab."

Mike was trying to make sense of what she was saying. "But…the lab…I thought the government did like secret projects and experiments there."

"Yes. I was one." With that, El pushed aside the blue hair tie on her wrist to reveal the number _011_ etched in her skin.

"Holy shit," exclaimed Mike. "What does that mean?"

"Eleven. El. That's me."

"Your real name is Eleven? They called you that there?"

"Yes."

"But only WE know that, Wheeler," Hopper interrupted. "The public will know her as Eleanor. Got it?"

Mike nodded quickly. "Yeah." Turning back to El, he asked, "What do you mean you were an experiment? What happened?"

El thought it best to show Mike, rather than tell. She grabbed Hopper's empty beer can and placed it on the coffee table in front of her and Mike. Concentrating as hard as she could, the can soon was crushed, as if someone grabbed it and squeezed.

Mike couldn't believe what he saw. He picked up the can and studied it, running his fingers over the new grooves in it. After a moment, he looked at El, who had a small trickle of blood coming out of her nose. "Oh my God…you're bleeding. Are you alright? Can I get you a tissue or some ice?"

"Slow your roll, Wheeler," said Hopper. "She's okay. But you're telling me that the first thing you ask her after she crushes a can with her mind is, 'Can I get you a tissue?'"

"Well, yeah." Mike looked at Hopper like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I just wanted to make sure she was okay."

"Hmph," Hopper snorted. But there was a faint trace of a smile on his face. So far, Wheeler seemed like an alright kid. Some other punk might have asked about El's powers right away without any concern for her wellbeing.

"Does the bleeding happen all the time after you do that," Mike asked El.

She nodded. "Yes. The more I focus, the more that comes out. Not sure why it happens, but I always have to rest."

"Don't want to use up all your energy. I understand," replied Mike.

He was taking this a lot better than El and Hopper thought he would. Hell, he was taking it better than HE thought he would. You don't meet someone with telekinesis every day.

Hopper stood up. "Tell you kids what – speaking of energy – why don't I get dinner started? Pasta alright?"

El nodded, and Mike replied, "Yeah, that sounds great."

After Hopper walked into the kitchen, El grimaced slightly. Mike, ever the observant one, noticed her face change.

"You okay, El," he asked quietly.

"Yeah, it's just that," she glanced behind her to make sure Hopper wasn't listening closely, "Hop's not the best cook."

Mike frowned. "But it's pasta. You boil it and dump sauce on…simple, right?"

"No," replied El. "He always overcooks it. It tastes like mush."

"Gross," Mike said with a shudder. "Why don't you tell him his cooking sucks?"

"Because it means a lot to him – cooking for someone. He told me. I don't want to hurt his feelings."

Mike remembered the stories he heard on the news about Hopper's daughter – the one that passed away years ago. And of course it was a small town, so everyone knew when he and Diane got divorced. It was probably pretty lonely until El came along.

He nodded. "I get it." Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. "Hey El?"

"Yes?"

"Do you like pasta?"

"I'd like it more if Hopper cooked it better."

Mike coughed to hide his laugh. He didn't want Hopper to know they were talking about his cooking skills, or lack thereof.

"Okay, well, my sister and her boyfriend sometimes go to this place that has awesome pasta – or so they say. Enzo's, I think it's called. You want to go with me sometime?"

El looked up at Mike, a shy smile gracing her face. "Like a date?"

Mike smiled sweetly back at her. "Yeah, if you want it to be."

El glanced towards the kitchen to make sure Hopper wasn't looking in their direction. When she was satisfied he wouldn't interrupt, she scooted forward so that her and Mike's knees were touching. "Okay," she said.

Before Mike could process her answer, El leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. It was just a swift brush of her lips against his, but that didn't matter. The two of them sat, red-cheeked on the sofa, grinning happily. El darted her tongue out to taste her bottom lip, and Mike wanted nothing more than to kiss her again – this time, longer.

_Maybe after our date_, Mike thought.

They were going on a date…holy shit.

* * *

These two lil cuties! Despite the abundance of Mileven in this chapter, there WILL be drama coming…I just couldn't help it, though. What did you think of Hopper's drive with Mike to the cabin? I might be a little biased since it IS my story, but I was cracking myself up. I could totally picture something like that happening. And I JUST found out that Hopper and El's secret knock was "us" in Morse code…so cute.

Did anyone catch the "American Beauty" reference? I might be dating myself with it, as the movie came out in 1999 (I think), but it's absolutely brilliant.

Good news! I'm going to be taking my laptop on my trip with me, so I may get some writing done. No promises on a new chapter during the next couple weeks, but I'll try. Please leave me a review! I'd love to know what you think.


	6. Chapter 5: This Time

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: This Time**

There wasn't a whole lot that rattled Eleven, what with everything she had been through. Being used as a top-secret government experiment really puts things into perspective. Getting ready to go on a date with the cutest guy in the world, however, was a whole other ball of wax.

She jiggled her leg nervously as she sat in front of her mirror. Trying to put on her shimmery eye shadow was a nearly impossible task with all the shaking she was doing.

Max could sense that El was having some difficulties, and looked up from the magazine she was reading. "Want me to do that," she asked, glancing at the eye shadow.

El, ever the stubborn one, shook her head. "No thanks."

"You sure? You seem pretty nervous."

"I'm not nervous, Max," El persisted, raising her voice slightly. But at that precise moment, she happened to glance at one of the bottles of nail polish on her dresser. It didn't stand a chance against the intense emotion coursing through her and shattered at once, the red liquid pouring out.

"Shit," Max muttered, standing up. "I'm getting a towel. Stay there, and don't move," she warned El. "When I come back, I'm finishing your makeup. No arguments."

El nodded weakly. She didn't know what was wrong. Her time spent with Mike the other day went fine – great, even. After their kiss, they'd eaten dinner. When they weren't choking down the overcooked pasta and sharing grimaces, they were making heart eyes at each other. Mike also played her a song on his guitar before he left. El hadn't thought it possible, but she liked him even more after that.

Before he'd begun playing, Mike hemmed and hawed, suddenly shy. He didn't want to screw up, especially not in front of El. But El had calmly taken his hand and given it a gentle squeeze, an encouraging smile on her face.

Mike started out quiet, but grew louder and more confident as the song went on.

"_Just give it to me straight from the heart. Tell me we can make another start. You know I'll never go, as long as I know it's comin' straight from the heart."_

El practically melted into a pile of goo as he sang, his slightly raspy voice blending well with the tender lyrics. It took everything in her willpower not to attack him with kisses when he finished, as Hopper was also watching.

"El! Helloooo!"

El glanced up to see Max standing next to her, arms folded. "I asked if you could scoot over so I could do your makeup. Where were you?"

El frowned and slid over in her seat. "I was right here."

"I know that, space cadet," Max said with a snort. "Your body was here, but your head wasn't. What were you thinking about? Oh let me guess…a super tall guitarist with fluffy hair and freckles. Am I right?"

"Was it that obvious?"

"Not at all, just to anyone with eyes," Max quipped sarcastically. She took the eye shadow from El and began making swift passes of the light pink, shimmery powder over El's eyelids. "What do you have to be nervous about anyway? You like Mike, and he's crazy about you."

"But this is a DATE, Max," El whined. "This is a big deal."

"Only if you make it one," replied Max. "Half the battle is wondering whether or not the guy likes you, and you KNOW Mike does. Go have a great time!"

Max finished with El's eye shadow, and El got a good look at herself. The light color and shimmer was making her brown eyes pop. A shy smile crept across her face. "Pretty," she whispered.

Max smiled at her handiwork. "Hell yeah, it is. Mike will love it. Just a little blush, and you'll be done."

El slipped into her own little world again as Max finished up, but then…a familiar song. She let out a shriek as the opening chords to "Somebody" by Bryan Adams came on the radio. Mike had let El borrow his "Reckless" tape before he left the cabin that night, and "Somebody" was one of the best songs on it.

She jumped up and pulled Max with her, the both of them laughing as they twirled together. When the chorus came on, they couldn't resist belting out the lyrics.

"_I need somebody, somebody like you! Everybody needs somebody. I need somebody. Hey, what about you!"_

They were so engrossed in their mini karaoke session, that they didn't notice Hopper standing in the door, a bemused expression on his face. Their silly antics briefly made him forget that his baby girl was going on a date tonight. When he remembered, however, the gruff face returned.

The girls saw Hopper at this exact moment, and began laughing again. "Geez, chief," Max choked out, "Are we that bad at singing?"

"Well kid, now that you mention it, I don't foresee any Grammy's in your future," he quipped. "But as much as I hate to interrupt your little recording session here, it's time to drop El off."

The butterflies in El's stomach came back in full force, and she stopped dancing immediately. Max went over to El and slung her arm around her shoulders. "You've got this, space cadet. Just tell yourself to relax and have fun."

"Relax. Have fun," El said with a nod.

"Exactly," replied Max. "It'll be great, and I can't wait to hear about it!"

El could only hope she was right.

* * *

About 15 minutes later, Hopper pulled up in front of Enzo's. Much as he hated to show emotion, he was probably about as nervous as El. Mike had proven himself to be alright, but Hopper was still suspicious. This was still a teenage boy, going on a date with his teenage daughter. He didn't want El rushing into a relationship so quickly. He wanted her to stay a kid for a little while longer.

The sound of El's throat clearing made Hopper snap back to reality. "You okay, Hopp?"

"Yeah, kid I just," he trailed off. Hopper had been about to tell her exactly what he'd been thinking, that El shouldn't throw herself into a relationship so quickly – that she was only 15 years old and there'd be plenty of time for boys in college. But he took one look at her in her blue dress and just crumbled. She looked so damn pretty, and he was proud to be her dad. "I just love you, you know that," he asked.

She smiled. "Yes. I love you, too."

Hopper never got tired of hearing that. "I'm glad. And I'm proud of you, and the young lady you've become. You're growing up so fast."

"Hopp," El whined quietly. Dad mushiness always made her feel a little embarrassed.

"I know, kid. I know. But I just wanted to tell you that. You look beautiful tonight, and Mike seems like an okay guy."

El nodded fervently. "He really is."

"Just in case he isn't, though," Hopper began, "I put some pepper spray in your purse. Don't be afraid to use it."

"Dad, NO," El protested.

Hopper had to admit that sometimes he enjoyed poking fun at El. It was his duty as a dad, after all. "I'm just saying…I was a teenage boy once upon a time, too. Just…please be careful, okay? Promise?"

"I promise."

"Good. Now if I know Mike, I bet he's already inside waiting for you," Hopper said with a smirk. "Why don't you head in before he hyperventilates."

El didn't have to be told twice. She eagerly hopped out of the car and strode inside, nearly missing Hopper's shouted reminder that she be ready to be picked up by 9PM. At first glance, Enzo's seemed cozy and inviting. The lights were dimmed, and each table had a candle on it. The couples seated at the tables were well-dressed, and looked so elegant with their glasses of wine. El knew she wasn't old enough to drink it, but she wondered what it would feel like to hold one of those glasses.

"Ahem."

A throat clearing caused El to look up. The maître d' was looking at her expectantly behind the front podium. "May I help you, young lady?"

El blushed, hoping that she hadn't been thought stupid for staring at everything. "Sorry," she said quietly. "I'm here to see someone. For dinner."

The maître d' glanced at his clipboard before nodding knowingly. "You're not by chance meeting a Mr. Michael Wheeler, are you?"

El's eyes brightened at the sound of his name. "Yes."

"Ah, he said we'd be expecting you. Right this way."

A pang of nervousness hit El again as she followed the man closer to Mike. She really hoped she wouldn't act stupid or spazzy. And she REALLY hoped he'd like her dress.

She didn't have to wait long. As soon as they walked around a sculpture, Mike came into view. And boy did he look good tonight. Not that he never looked good. But the tan suit jacket, red tie, and light blue button down he had on were really working in his favor.

El's outfit was having a similar effect on Mike. His mouth hung open and he sat frozen in his seat. The blue dress looked beautiful on her, and with her makeup, El's face looked like it was glowing.

Thankfully, Mike snapped out of his frozen stupor as El got closer, standing and pulling out a chair for her. He wouldn't be Karen Wheeler's son if he wasn't well-mannered. She taught him from an early age to be a gentleman in the presence of a lady.

"I believe I've found your date, sir," the maître d' said as they reached the table. "Why don't the two of you have a seat, and I'll make sure your waiter gets your drink orders."

"Thank you," Mike replied. Turning back to El, he took her hand, her shy smile widening as their eyes connected. "Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," El whispered back.

Mike narrowed his eyes playfully. "Why are you whispering?"

"Um," El stuttered with a giggle, "I don't know, but we're still whispering."

They laughed then, their faces turning red in embarrassment and excitement. "Sorry," Mike began, "I guess I was just nervous."

"Me too," El admitted.

Mike gestured at their table. "We should sit down. Can I help you with your chair," he asked.

"Sure." Sitting down on the chair in front of Mike, she felt him gently push her forward. El then began to peruse the menu as he sat down.

Her eyes landed on a picture of red wine in one of the nice glasses she saw earlier. "It's too bad I can't get one of these," she said, pointing at it. "It's so pretty."

Mike laughed. "The wine? Why, needing some liquid courage for tonight?"

"What, no," El protested, her face getting red again. "The glass just looks pretty. I saw people using them when I walked in."

"Ohhhh," Mike said. "I understand now. Yeah, they are pretty cool. My mom and dad have some nice wine glasses at home that they only bring out for special occasions. I think they got them for their wedding."

Just then, their waiter came up and asked what they'd like to drink. Mike nodded at El to go first. She bit her lip as she thought for a moment, inadvertently driving Mike crazy. He wanted nothing more than to kiss that lip of hers. He still couldn't believe his good fortune, that she'd want to go on a date with a nerd like him…

"Mike?"

El's voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he met her curious gaze. "Sorry, what?"

"Your drink. What would you like? I got a Coke."

"Okay, yeah a Coke," Mike replied, still trying to play catch up. "That sounds good."

"Very good, sir," said the waiter, turning away. Before he could completely walk away though, Mike thought of something and called him back.

"Excuse me, could we get those in wine glasses, please?"

"Sorry, sir? Wine glasses?" The waiter looked at Mike as though he had two heads.

"Yeah. It's just that my date was admiring them earlier. I know we're not old enough to drink wine out of them, but could we drink the Coke out of them instead?"

This wasn't something they normally did at Enzo's. But the waiter looked at the sincere, hopeful expressions on the kids' faces, and couldn't help but oblige. They just seemed so sweet. And anyway, this reeked of a first date. If this boy was trying to impress his young lady, he didn't want to stand in the way of that.

"Of course you may. I'll be right back."

As he walked away from the table, he heard an excited squeal come from that direction. He knew he'd made the right decision, and that made him smile.

* * *

"Now don't forget," Mike trilled in his fake British accent, "Whenever you drink from the wine glaaahhhhsssss, you must stick out your pinkie fingerrrrr."

Ever since they got their pop in the fancy glasses, they'd been taking full advantage of the situation. After all, pop in a wine glass was nothing if not enjoyed whilst sticking your pinkie finger out.

El giggled like mad and copied Mike best as she could. She and Mike were on their second glasses, and the sugar content was making these already excited teenagers positively giddy.

"Like 'zis," she asked.

Mike laughed and nodded. "Yes! Very good. With even more practice, I'd say you'd be the next lady-in-waiting for the Queen of England."

El snorted and shook her head, taking a careful sip. "Mike, can I ask you something."

"Anything."

"When did you start doing the accent?"

He shrugged. "I can't even remember. I must have been really little. Maybe it was a show or movie I saw on TV. I do remember talking in a British accent so much one time, that my mom actually told me to stop. She said that I wasn't British, so I shouldn't talk British."

"But you were excited," said El with a frown. "Who says you're NOT?"

"I knew I liked you for a reason," Mike admitted, then clapped his hand over his mouth. I mean, it had been pretty obvious, but Mike wasn't used to being so forward.

El blushed and looked down. "I like you, too. I think you're the cutest boy I've ever seen."

It was Mike's turn to blush. "Really? I'm not too freckly? My hair isn't too crazy?"

"No. You're just right," El said honestly.

"How do you do that," Mike asked softly, a dreamy look in his eyes.

El tipped her head to the side in confusion. "Do what," she asked.

"Know what to say. You're so forward and open. I really like that."

El was suddenly self-conscious. "I know. I'm still learning."

That's not what Mike had meant. Yes, it was true that El's straightforwardness might have a little something to do with her upbringing and lack of opportunity to test social skills. But Mike also thought that was just El. He appreciated that about her.

Mike shook his head. "No. YOU'RE just right."

The two of them sat grinning at each other for a moment, interrupted only by the waiter placing their dishes in front of them. El thought she'd never smelled anything better than the spaghetti in front of her. Mike had ordered lasagna, and was eagerly placing his napkin on his lap.

Before they started eating, the waiter came back with a handheld cheese grater filled with parmesan cheese. "Would you like some extra cheese," he asked El.

Would she?! Was that a trick question? El LOVED cheese, and nodded eagerly for him to start grating. When he began, however, a wicked idea popped into El's head. A quick glance around showed that no one was looking in their direction. El then discreetly focused on the cheese grater, narrowing her eyes slowly until…

POOF!

All the cheese that was in the grater fell out onto El's plate. There was so much of it, that a small pile lay on top of her pasta.

"Oh my g-g-g-goodness," the waiter stuttered, dumbfounded, "I'm terribly sorry, young lady. I have no idea what happened."

El discreetly wiped her nose and looked innocently at him. "It's okay."

"Is there anything I can do to help you? I can get you another plate of spaghetti."

"No thank you," El said demurely. "I'll be alright."

As the waiter walked away, a satisfied smile appeared on El's face. She spread out the cheese across her whole plate and dug in, letting out a satisfied groan at the taste. "Mmm, this is so much better than Hopper's," she admitted, her cheeks full of pasta.

Meanwhile, Mike was studying El with a mix of disbelief and awe. He hadn't initially realized that she'd used her powers until he saw her wiping her nose. Then she'd handled herself so calmly. It was…impressive.

After a few more bites, El noticed Mike staring at her. She was suddenly self-conscious. "What is it," she asked. Her face fell then. "That was bad what I did…wasn't it?"

"No! No, no, no," Mike answered, jolting out of his reverie. "I'm sorry for just sitting here all frozen. I guess I just…" he trailed off, struggling to find the words. "You 're just…you're amazing," he finished simply. "Are you alright? I mean, with your nose and everything?"

"Yes," said El, reaching over and grasping his hand. "It's like Hopp said, it always happens after I do something like that. But I'm fine, I promise."

"I'm glad you are. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you, El."

"I know. Like I said, I promise I'm fine. I wouldn't do something that I thought would hurt myself."

"Okay," Mike said with a nod. Suddenly, he started chuckling. "You must have really wanted that cheese, then."

"Oh yes," said El seriously. "You can never have enough cheese." Then, pushing her plate slightly towards him, she added, "Want some?"

Mike cocked his eyebrow. "Really? I thought you just said you can never have enough cheese."

El shrugged. "Yeah, but I like you."

"Ah, I see," Mike said playfully. Taking a forkful of cheese from her plate, he popped it into his mouth. His eyes widened as he chewed. "Jesus, I'm glad you do."

The rest of their dinner went in a similar fashion – playful banter and delicious food. Mike let El try some of his lasagna, and she almost regretted ordering spaghetti it was so good. For dessert, they shared a cup of chocolate mousse. All the while, they kept sharing shy but flirtatious glances.

Before they knew it, dinner was over. Ever the gentleman, Mike paid for El's meal. As he stood up and helped her with her chair, he asked, "What time is Hopper coming to pick you up?"

"9:00. What time is it now?"

"8:30," answered Mike. "We still have 30 minutes. Is there anything you'd like to do?"

If El was being honest with herself, she really wanted to kiss Mike's face. She'd been staring at him all evening. Her face grew hot at the thought.

Mike noticed her blushing. "What is it? You can tell me you know."

Seeing as how they were now outside, El decided to just show him.

Her hand tangled in that wonderfully thick hair of his, and she stretched up on her tip toes to press her lips against his. Mike's eyes widened in shock for a second, then closed as he grew used to the feeling of her sweet little kisses. As this was still new to the both of them, their kisses were a tad bit out of sync. But after a few moments, they seemed to be getting the hang of things.

El began to shiver a bit, as the sun had gone down a while ago. Depending on the day, summer nights in Hawkins could get on the cool side.

Mike pulled back a bit, his and El's labored breathing punctuating the air. "Are you okay," he whispered.

"I'm a little chilly," El admitted.

Mike couldn't believe his lack of foresight, but he'd been otherwise distracted…

"I'm so sorry! Let me give you my jacket." He quickly shrugged it off and draped it around El's shoulders. Considering how much taller he was than her, the jacket looked almost like a second dress. But El looked adorable in it.

"Thank you," she said quietly, her face plastered with a giddy smile. Maybe she'd get lucky, and Mike would forget about the jacket. She could go on smelling his scent forever. Well, at least for the foreseeable future.

"You're welcome," replied Mike. The way he was looking at El, you'd think she'd hung the moon. He was in awe of her abilities, her strength, her forwardness, and how pretty she was. But…he was also a teenager. He'd be lying if he said he didn't want to kiss her again tonight.

Slowly, he brought his hand up to caress her cheek, reveling in how soft it was and that it grew pink under his touch. El leaned into him, closing her eyes. She never wanted this night to end.

The both reached out at the same time, pulling each other close for another round of kisses. Mike wrapped his arms tightly around El, making her feel safe and protected. The night was quiet, save for the sound of their lips meeting and retreating. Occasionally, El would let out a breathy sigh, and it would make Mike shiver in delight.

But unfortunately for the distracted pair, their time was about to end for the night. You see, all that kissing had made them lose track of time, and a loud honk of a horn made them look up in shock.

"WHEELER," came an angry shout from the car, "Extract yourself from my daughter and say goodnight!"

"Oh shit," Mike whispered. "I gotta go."

El's face dropped. "I don't want you to."

"I know, neither do I. But I'll call you tomorrow, okay? First thing."

"Tomorrow," El agreed, the smile reappearing on her face.

Mike gave her hand a final squeeze, then grabbed his bike from the nearby rack. He waited until El was safely in the car before biking off, the grin on his face a mile wide.

* * *

Several miles away, a storm was brewing. Not a storm of the weather variety, but one that would affect Hawkins just the same.

Later that night, electricity around the town went out for a short period of time, the ground trembled, and a lone figure stepped from out of the woods into a clearing.

Safely inside and tucked into bed, El sat bolt upright and screamed.

* * *

I'm baaaaack! My vacation last month was AMAZING! I was in London, and it was an absolute dream. Long story short, I want to go back. Hopefully soon. But because of that, it took me an extra long time to get back to writing. Sorry for the wait, but I hope it was worth it.

So what did you think of the Mike and El date?! I just love these lil cuties. But something's coming…what can it be? Please leave me a review. Thank you for reading!


	7. Chapter 6: I'll Always Be Right There

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: I'll Always Be Right There**

When El walked in the door from her date with Mike, it was like she was floating on a cloud. With each step she took, she felt lighter than air, and she couldn't wipe the grin from her face. She sat down on her bed and sighed happily.

The date had been perfect, and she couldn't believe how nervous she'd been beforehand. Mike looked amazing, the food was delicious, and THOSE KISSES…

El let out a happy squeal into her pillow and hugged it tightly, kicking her legs out in front of her.

Meanwhile, Hopper was stewing out on the sofa with a can of beer. At the sound of her squeal, he rolled his eyes. From the minute El climbed in the car after her date, she'd had this dopey grin on her face and was staring off in her own little world. Hopper was trying to rationalize with himself and remember what it was like to be a teenager. But the last thing he wanted to see when he picked El up was her and Mike attached at the lips.

He shuddered in revulsion and chugged the last of his beer. Once they'd both slept on it, he'd have to have a talk with her about PDAs, mainly WHY they weren't a good idea. He once saw a couple making out in the middle of the street and almost get hit by a car. Therefore, it was two pronged: he wouldn't have to look at his kid kissing some boy, and she'd be safe.

Hopper smiled serenely, the plan solidifying in his head. Yes, the world would soon return to its natural order. With that in mind, he got up, went into his room, and got ready for bed.

* * *

It wasn't long after El's head hit the pillow that the dream began. It started innocently enough…

_Mike and El were holding hands, and walking along the train tracks in the woods. The moon shone brightly in the sky, and the tracks were lit by the fireflies that inhabited those woods. It looked so romantic._

"_Just a little longer, El," Mike said excitedly. _

_El smiled brightly, looking forward to whatever surprise he had in store for her._

_After a few moments, they stopped. Mike hung back behind El, and put his arms around her waist. "Okay, close your eyes."_

"_What?"_

"_Just close them, no peeking! It's a surprise."_

_El did as she was told, the air seeming to come alive with the sounds of insects and night birds with her sight gone._

"_Okay you can open them on three." Mike's lips were now close to her ear, and he whispered, "One…two…three."_

_El opened her eyes, and the chorus of sounds she'd been hearing abruptly stopped. She couldn't see anything at all. The fireflies were gone. _

_A queasy feeling sprung up in the pit of her stomach. "Mike, what is it," she asked, turning around. But the breath caught in her throat as she gazed at the figure behind her, who was most certainly NOT Mike. The face of the figure was one she'd only seen in photos, and someone she knew could not possibly still be alive._

"_Where's Mike," El asked urgently. "What did you do to him?"_

_The man chuckled. "We disposed of him. He would have just gotten in his way."_

_El began hyperventilating. "What did you do," she asked again, her raised voice shaking. "Gotten in whose way?"_

_He gestured to the dark sky above them. "Him." Suddenly a bright flash of lightning lit up the night, and El took the opportunity to look up. The flash was short, so she couldn't be sure, but what she saw looked like a massive, hulking shadow. It was terrifying._

_She shrieked and looked back at the now cackling man. "But don't worry," he began, his eyes taking on an unearthly glow, "You'll see him again soon enough."_

_A ghastly sounding gurgling inhale came from the trees, to the right of where they were standing on the tracks. El was frozen. She thought she'd never hear that sound again. It was only once, but she'd never forgotten it._

_The man grabbed the back of her shirt collar and threw her down on the ground. As El tried to get up, he stepped on her upper back, forcing her down again. Leaning down, he whispered, "Goodbye, El."_

_El began to feel the ground tremble slightly as heavy footsteps approached. About 5 feet away, they stopped. All El could hear was the sound of her own pounding heart, thudding against the ground. Suddenly, she heard a roar…_

Safely inside and tucked into bed, El sat bolt upright and screamed. She was soaked in sweat, and her skin was burning up. Being telekinetic and all, she'd had some weird dreams throughout her life, but nothing quite this scary and realistic.

Hopper came running into her room, still half asleep and out of breath. But he took one look at El's anguished face and wrapped her in a tight hug. She was very warm, but shivering at the same time. He pulled back to have a look at her, and his eyes widened in surprise at the small stream of blood coming from her nose.

Grabbing a tissue from her bedside table, Hopper dabbed it under El's nose. "Sweetheart, what happened? Was it a nightmare?"

Tears began rolling down her cheeks as the memory of the dream came back. "It seemed so real. Mike and I…we were walking in the woods, then he disappeared. And then I saw…it looked like…" she trailed off in in disbelief.

"Saw what, El?"

"It looked like Billy, Max's brother. He said that Mike was gone, and that he was just going to get in the way of a shadow in the sky. And then," this was the part that was difficult to think about, "I heard it."

"Heard what?"

"That thing," she whispered. "What I saw…what I heard…before I ran away."

Hopper was the only person El had told about the monster. It was right after she had moved in with him. He'd sat her down and made her spill every last little detail that she could remember about her time in the lab, and her escape. He didn't want there to be any secrets between them.

The day she saw the monster was both the best and worst day of her life.

That day, the doctors had wanted to extend the reach of her mind farther than ever. But in their quest to discover the secrets of the Soviet Union, something even more sinister was found. As El walked through the blackness of the void, she had expected to hear men speaking in another language. She'd spent some time practicing before, and knew what to listen for. Instead, she heard what sounded like chewing. But it wasn't normal chewing, like what she did when she ate. It sounded sloppy, and like whatever was eating was tearing its meal apart.

As she edged closer to the dark creature, she heard a gurgling inhale. It was disgusting, and made her shudder. Suddenly, the thing turned around and roared at her, exposing its gaping mouth and endless number of sharp teeth. El screamed bloody murder, pounding on the glass of the tank she was submerged in. All around her, doctors and scientists looked on, confused. They couldn't see what she was seeing, couldn't imagine the horror she'd been exposed to.

That was all about to change, though.

The ground beneath their feet began to tremble and they froze in place, both in fear and bewilderment. As El continued to scream, a loud crack made them turn quickly. The wall opposite the bath was beginning to crumble from the inside out. This seemed to jar the men and women out of their stupor, and a melee ensued. Someone had the sense to pull El up and out of the tank. But after she was out, she was on her own. Everyone was running frantically – some trying to get out, some simply trying to figure out what was going on. El had the good sense to take off her weighted vest and replace it with a hospital gown that she saw on the platform. But after that, adrenaline took over and she ran.

El figured that the doors would be heavily guarded, so she ran for the first thing she saw – a large round pipe. It was just big enough for her to crawl into, and she crawled for her life. She didn't stop to catch her breath until the large room was out of sight. But even then, it was a just a few moments later that she began to move again. As she continued to crawl up and out, El thought she heard a faint roar, but she couldn't be sure. All she knew was that she needed to get out. Once she began to hear birds chirping, and the pipe opened up to the outside, she felt like she could finally breathe…

…Until, of course, she had the horrible nightmare. She had wanted to just forget all about the events of that day. But nightmares like the one El had reminded her that sometimes, you can't do that.

Hopper reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind El's ear. "Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry. But you're safe here, and I hope you know that. The monster you saw can't get you here."

"But what if I did something? What if that day…I let it out?"

"El, I don't think that's possible. What you saw was in your head. Well, not like 'in your head,' like you were imagining it. But in that other part of your brain, of your consciousness…" Hopper trailed off sheepishly. "Sorry, it's hard to explain."

El nodded wordlessly, trying to convince herself that he was right…that there was no danger. "But what about Billy?"

Hopper let out a breath. "What happened to Billy was a horrible accident. That was a sad day for this whole town. All the guys at the station went to his funeral. There's absolutely no way that he could come back."

"And Mike? Do you think he's okay?"

Hopper wanted nothing more than to roll his eyes, but he reigned it in for El's sake. "Yeah, kid. I'm sure he's fine."

El, however, wasn't so easily convinced. "Can I talk to him?"

"Sweetheart, it's in the middle of the night. You can call him in the morning."

"No, now," she insisted, her eyes narrowing.

Rather than start an argument with El after she'd just woken up from a nightmare, Hopper grudgingly conceded with a nod. "Fine, but make it quick."

El leaped out of bed and dashed around the corner to the phone, dialing the number she knew by heart. It took a few extra rings, but finally, she heard Mike's sleepy voice on the other end. "Hello?"

She began to cry in relief and exhaustion. "Mike," she choked out.

"El!" He certainly was awake now. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I had a bad dream…wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Was I…not okay in the dream?"

El sniffled. "No, I don't think so. You disappeared, and I couldn't find you."

Mike wanted nothing more than to reach through the phone and give her a hug. "That will NEVER happen," he said fervently. "You'll always be able to find me, El."

"Okay," she replied shakily. "So you're alright?"

"Yes, I promise I'm fine." Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. "Tell you what, why don't I come over in the morning? We can have breakfast and just hang out. If you'd like, we can even invite the others over."

"That sounds good. Can you bring your guitar, Mike?" The thought of him playing and singing for her again made her all warm and fuzzy.

He chuckled. "Yes, I think that can be arranged."

Her mood brightened considerably at this. Unfortunately, a glance over at Hopper told her that she should wrap up her phone call. He gave her a pointed look and tapped on his watch.

"Mike, I've got to go. Hopp said I couldn't be long."

He yawned and nodded, the tiredness beginning to come back. "Okay. But I'll talk to you in the morning – and see you in the morning."

El bit her lip and smiled. "I can't wait."

"Night, El."

"Night, Mike."

For as horrible as El felt when she woke up, that's how happy she now felt after talking to Mike. She was so happy that he was okay. Even better now that she would see him in the morning.

She practically skipped back into her room, much to Hopper's amusement. "So, I take it Wheeler's okay?"

"Yes," El replied brightly.

"I take it that I should also prepare for our house to be invaded by teenagers in the morning, too?"

"Dad…"

"I know, I know. I'm just teasing you." He gave El a hug, then stood up. "Alright, sweetheart. I think it's time you try to go back to sleep, okay?"

"Okay."

El got back under the covers and pulled the blanket up to her chin, making Hopper chuckle. "You're safe here, El. No monster is going to get to you…especially not with you under all those blankets."

El giggled. "Thanks, dad. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

It wasn't long after that El drifted off to sleep, her mind filled with visions of Mike, his guitar, and his lips.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Hopper and El, about an hour after they fell back to sleep, all the lights in Hawkins went out for a few minutes.

Also unbeknownst to them, the doctors and scientists in Hawkins Laboratory were once again running for their lives. The force they thought they had contained over the past year was tired of being shut away.

If it had its way, Hawkins was going down.

* * *

Uh oh…trouble's coming, folks. But there will be more Mileven in the next chapter as well! I hope you're liking what you're reading. I know I'm enjoying writing. Any Gilmore Girls fans out there? The part about Hopper seeing a kissing couple almost get hit by a car was inspired by Rory and Jess crossing the road while making out – "We're going to walk right in front of a car one of these days…"

Who got excited over the Stranger Things Season 4 announcement?! Chapter 1…The Hellfire Club. Any guesses on what it means?

See you all next time. Please leave me a review!


	8. Chapter 7: Heaven

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Heaven**

El awoke the next morning feeling very refreshed, the events of the middle of the night all but forgotten. Looking at the clock on her bedside table, she saw that it was just after 8:30 in the morning. She hopped out of bed and quickly pulled on a striped t-shirt and denim shorts. If Mike was excited like she was, he'd probably be over shortly.

She ran a brush through her hair, gave it one last tousle for good measure, then skipped over to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She'd be damned if Mike caught her with morning breath. Once she deemed herself passable, she walked out to the kitchen, where she found Hopper fiddling with the microwave.

"Hey kid," he greeted. "Seems as though we lost power at some point last night. The clocks on the stove and the microwave were flashing when I walked out here." Hopper studied El curiously. "You're up kind of early aren't you?"

El shrugged. "Not really. Mike said he'd be by this morning."

Hopper let out a huff. It was time to have that talk about PDAs. "Yeah about that, I wanted to talk to you real quick. Could you have a seat?"

"Sure," she replied apprehensively after a pause.

"You're not in any trouble…" Hopper began. "It's just, well, it's about last night."

"My date?"

"Yeah. I mean, what happened _after_ your date."

"Okay…?"

Shit. This was harder than Hopper thought it was going to be. Might as well just come out with it.

"Kid, I'm really concerned about…"

_RIIIIIIIIIIIIING_

"Damn it," Hopper exclaimed, smacking his hand on the top of the microwave. He pointed at El. "Hold that thought." Picking up the ringing phone harshly, he barked, "Yeah?"

El watched Hopper's face change as he listened to whoever was on the other line. Whatever was happening had to be of some seriousness, as his facial expression changed from annoyance to concern. "Slow down, Flo. What? Okay, but what about Powell or Callahan? Can't they take care of it?" He scrubbed his face with his hand in frustration. "Fine. I'll be there soon." With that, he hung up.

"What's wrong," asked EL.

"What's the point of having other officers if they can't do their god damn jobs," Hopper complained. "I'm sorry, El. I've got to head into work a little early. Larry Howard didn't come home last night, and his wife is at the station worried sick." He shook his head. "But I know Larry, and I know that he probably just had a few too many."

"A few too many what?"

"Drinks, El. Beer, liquor, that sort of thing. He's probably sleeping it off in his car somewhere."

Hopper grabbed his hat off the hook next to the door and moved to walk outside. However, he remembered that his teenage daughter was not going to be alone while he was at work. He looked back at El, a warning on his face.

"I had better not come home to see you and Wheeler connected at the face…got it?"

El's cheeks reddened. "Got it."

"Good. Please be safe today. And DO NOT answer the door unless you hear the secret knock."

"Only Mike and Max know the secret knock," El said with a frown.

"Then there'd better not be anyone over except for Mike and Max." Hopper took one more look around the cabin then opened the door to a startled Mike, who had his hand raised in a fist, ready to knock. "…And speak of the devil…" He gave one last pointed glance at El, grunted a greeting at Mike, then walked out to his car.

Once again, Mike had brought his guitar and a backpack full of comics, games, snacks, cassette tapes of music, and a couple of movies. He made no apology for wanting to be prepared.

Mike had barely made it into the cabin with his things, when El rushed over and wrapped her arms around his waist. She inhaled the clean scent of his shirt. "I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you, too," he murmured, swaying them back and forth. As musicians sometimes do, he began to hum a quiet melody. But it quickly turned louder and sillier. It WAS Mike Wheeler, after all.

"_Baby you're all that I want, when you're lyin' here in my arms…"_

As he sang, he grabbed El's arms and flung them out, making her laugh. _"I'm findin' it hard to be believe we're in heav-asfdskasfdskasfdsk,"_ he finished the verse, sticking his tongue out and making a rude noise.

El's mouth popped open, causing Mike to chuckle mischievously. "What, you don't like it," he teased.

She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows at him. "You can't do that to Bryan Adams," she retorted.

"So you HAVE been listening," he replied, excitedly. "I knew you'd love that tape. It's so good!"

"Yes, it is! Why did you make a fart noise during the song?"

Mike held his hands out in front of himself, like a surrender. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. It was just a joke. Let me make it up to you."

"How?"

His eyes turned serious as he stepped towards El, cupping her cheek with his hand. "I have an idea," he whispered just before he closed the gap between the two of them.

El sighed into the kiss, reaching up to grip his shoulder with one hand and thread her fingers through his hair with the other. While they were kissing, she felt Mike's bottom lip between hers. She took the initiative and tried something new – sucking on it lightly. He opened his eyes in shock before humming dreamily and pulling El closer.

By the time they finally pulled away from each other, the two infatuated teenagers were breathing heavily and their cheeks were pink. "Good morning," gasped a smiling El.

"Good morning back," replied Mike. He suddenly went rigid with a thought. "Hey, is Hopper going to be gone a while?"

"I think so. The station needed him in early."

"I hope everything's okay." After a beat, he continued with a glint in his eyes, "So we'll be alone, then?"

El bit her lip and nodded, but just as the two of them began to move in again, her stomach growled loudly. Mike chuckled. "Breakfast time?"

"Eggos," El asked in return.

"Sure. Why don't you toast them, and I'll get my guitar set up?"

El wanted to squeal – two of her favorite things…Eggos and music.

She eagerly opened the freezer and grabbed the box of Eggos. As she placed a couple of them in the toaster, she could hear Mike tuning his guitar. He spent a minute warming up, and then he quickly transitioned into the opening chords of "Run to You."

"_She says her love for me could never die. But that'd change if she ever found out about you and I…"_

El couldn't hold the squeal in this time, abandoning the Eggos and joining Mike in the living room as he played.

…"_When it gets too much, I need to feel your touch. I'm gonna run to you. I'm gonna run to you. When the feeling's right, I'm gonna run all night. I'm gonna run to you."_

Mike was absolutely mesmerizing. Before El could stop herself, she scooted closer to him on the sofa and gently grabbed hold of his guitar. Mike stopped playing, surprised by her actions, but seemingly knowing what she was after as he assisted her in putting it on the floor.

They met in the middle then, their lips crashing together. It was neither slow nor sweet, but a result of the pent-up passion they were both feeling. Mike had never met anyone as beautiful and strong as El, and El had never met anyone as cute or sweet as Mike.

The humidity creeping in from the cracked open windows made the air heavy in the small space, fueling their emotions. Mike wasn't sure what possessed him to try this, but during their next kiss, he let the tip of his tongue touch El's bottom lip. She gasped and went to try the same with him, but since he was also aiming to do it again, their tongues ended up brushing each other.

El let out a moan and pulled Mike forcefully towards her, falling backwards against the cushions in the process and taking him with her. Mike wasn't prepared for that in the slightest, and happened to fall directly between her legs. He yelped as the bulge in his shorts bumped against El's hip.

El's eyes opened in surprise at the noise. "Are you okay," she asked. The last thing she wanted was for him to be hurt.

Mike was trembling, and trying to get ahold of himself. Maybe she hadn't felt him poke her thigh? "Uh, yeah. I'm fine. More than fine, really." he muttered ruefully.

"Good. Um…" she strained to look in the kitchen and saw that the Eggos were ready. "Looks like the food's done. Do you want to eat?"

"Yeah, I just need to use the bathroom first." Mike needed to take care of the situation in his shorts ASAP.

"Okay," El whispered, leaning up for one more kiss. Mike kissed her back, but was careful to not put too much weight on her…lest she get poked by him again.

Once Mike got up and went into the bathroom, El took the Eggos out of the toaster. She smiled giddily to herself as she thought about the kisses they shared. It was strange…when Mike fell between her legs, she'd felt something unlike anything she knew. It was almost like a swooping feeling in her stomach, and an ache in a place that was unfamiliar to her. She wasn't really sure what to make of it, but she knew she wanted it to happen again.

El put the plates with Eggos on the kitchen table just as Mike came out of the bathroom. He looked a bit disheveled. His already fluffy hair looked even more out-of-sorts than usual, and his shirt was untucked. There was a strange brightness in his eyes that accompanied the blush on his cheeks.

"Are you alright," El asked.

"Yep, totally fine," he responded a little too quickly.

She wasn't super convinced that was true. After a beat, she asked, "Are you sure? You just seem a little…different."

"I…" Mike began. He let out a long exhale and scrubbed his face with his hand. He decided to be honest…without sounding like a pig. "I had to take care of myself."

El frowned. "Did you throw up?"

"NO! Not like that. Just, like," he gestured to his mid-section, "_Take care_ of myself."

She was still confused. "Did you have a stomach ache? Did you have diarrhea?"

"OH MY GOD, NO," Mike practically yelled, making El shrink back. "Shit, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just don't know how to explain. Maybe Max would be a better person to talk to about this sort of thing."

"Okay," El acquiesced, making a note to remind herself later. "You sure you're alright?"

"I'm positive." Mike leaned in and gave her a sweet kiss. He was off the hook…for now, anyway.

* * *

A few miles away, Max was just finishing her breakfast. She was alone, which was how she liked it. Her stepdad Neil had been an asshole to begin with, but he'd gotten worse since Billy died. Her mom just continued to simply exist, which was quite sad. Susan was so much better off without Neil, but it was impossible to convince her of that.

Max took a last bite of her Cookie Crisp cereal, then dumped her bowl in the sink. She was eager to go see El and see how her date went with Mike.

She hopped down the front porch steps and grabbed her bike off the walkway. Hawkins wasn't exactly a hotbed of crime, as she was able to just leave the bike out front like that. But just as she straddled the bike and was about to pedal off, a movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention.

Behind the large tree trunk across the street, someone was watching her.

It took Max a moment to realize just who it was. But no, she had to be hallucinating. There was no possible way. He was dead and gone. She saw him in that casket with her own two eyes. Yet somehow, here he was. A slimmer, gaunter version of what she remembered. But still the same person nonetheless.

She took small steps towards him, as if in a trance. The only sounds she heard were the tick-tick of her bike as she rolled it, and her own pulse in her ears. His name fell from her lips in a strangled whisper.

"Billy."

But just as she stepped into the street, a car horn broke her out of her trance. Max stumbled backwards into the grass, just as the car sped by. After she got her bearings, she frantically looked across the street again, to no avail. He was gone.

Max shook violently, the adrenaline catching up with her. Her stomach heaved, and she vomited the cereal back up, clawing at the grass with her fingers. She didn't care who saw.

After her stomach was empty, she curled up in the fetal position, sobbing and rocking back and forth. This had all been in her imagination. It had to be. There was simply no other explanation for it. Max was probably just missing Billy, and she was tricking herself into thinking that someone else looked like him.

There was absolutely no way he could be back…right?

* * *

I hope everyone's having a great holiday season! I wanted to get a chapter out before Christmas, as I'll be out of town for a couple weeks.

What are your thoughts on the chapter? Please leave me a review! Thank you so much for reading.


	9. Chapter 8: Please Forgive Me

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Please Forgive Me**

Max was panic-stricken. Her skin was clammy as she pedaled feverishly toward the cabin in the woods. She hadn't fully calmed down after what happened earlier. All she knew was that she wanted to get to El as soon as possible. Between the two of them, they could probably figure it all out.

As soon as Hopper's cabin was visible, Max stumbled off her bike, letting it sail into a tree. Staggering up the front steps, she knocked out the secret knock on the front door. "El, please open up," she cried.

Inside, El and Mike were just finishing their Eggo breakfast. They looked at each other in confusion at the tone of Max's voice. El quickly stood up and unlocked the door, pulling it open in haste. An exhausted Max fell into her arms, sobbing loudly. El looked at Mike, unsure of what to do. She'd never seen her friend in such a poor state.

Mike edged around the two girls and shut the front door, which finally alerted Max of his presence. She sniffled and looked up. "Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here."

"Mike came over this morning to have breakfast and hang out," El explained. She reached out her hand to grasp Mike's, an action that did not go unnoticed by Max.

"So I take it the date went well," she asked with a small smile, momentarily distracted.

Mike and El grinned at each other, the memories of last night's dinner coming back. "It was amazing," El gushed. "The pasta was SO good, we got to drink our Coke in fancy wine glasses…"

"Wait, what?"

"That was all thanks to Mike. He asked the waiter if we could use them, since we were on a date."

"Damn, Wheeler. Good going."

Mike shrugged. "I just figured, what's the worst that could happen? The guy would say no. But we'd still have a great dinner. I just wanted to make El happy."

Max nodded. "Good. She deserves it."

"But enough about the date," El said after a moment of silence. "What's wrong?"

Max closed her eyes and thought back on the events of this morning. She was still having a hard time wrapping her head around it. "I was just about to get on my bike and ride over here. There was a guy across the street, watching me."

"Like a pedo or something? What the fuck," Mike exclaimed. "Who was it? I'll beat his ass."

"I appreciate that, Wheeler," Max began with a snort, "But no offense…how? You going to dig your bony ass elbow into his eye?"

El had to laugh. Even in the worst of times, Max could always be counted upon to serve up some feistiness.

Mike looked at El in surprise, and clutched his hand to his chest. "And just what is so funny? You think I'm bony?"

His puppy dog expression made El laugh even harder. Mike WAS a little bony. But he was also extremely cute.

"I didn't say anything," she choked out between laughs.

"You didn't have to," he sing-songed, stepping slowly towards her. "Well I may be bony, but that does have its advantages."

El backed away as he approached, though she couldn't go far. "Like what," she asked quietly as her back hit the kitchen counter.

Mike leaned over her, putting a hand down on either side of her. She was trapped. El started to get that unfamiliar ache between her legs again as his lips brushed against her ear. Her eyes just before he whispered…

"I can tickle the hell out of you."

El barely had time to react before his fingers started digging into her sides. She screamed and laughed, sinking to the ground as she attempted to fend Mike off. He simply went down with her. Soon they were both on the ground, laughing and red-faced. They were completely wrapped in their own little world, but their reverie was soon broken by the slam of the front door. A quick look around the room showed that Max was nowhere to be found.

"Oh no," El cried. She jumped up and pulled the door open, just in time to see Max striding towards her bike. "Max!"

"Gee, I'm surprised you even notice I exist. You seemed pretty distracted with lover boy back there," she spat.

"Hey! You like Mike."

"Sure, he's great! Nice hair, talented guitarist, references up the ass, whoop-dee-fucking-doo!"

Tears began running down El's face. "Max," she sniffled.

Max paused, shaking her head. "You know, you're my best friend, El. I came to you this morning because something unbelievably shitty and weird and fucked up happened to me. I was worried and scared, but I came to you because you always make me feel better."

"I know, and I'm sorry." El was still standing on the front steps. She walked down and wrapped her arms tightly around Max. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, burying her face in Max's shoulder.

Max's resolve crumbled, and she burst into tears, hugging El back. The two girls swayed silently together in the woods for a minute or so before El picked her head up. "Please come back inside," she asked. "I promise to listen. You're my best friend, too."

"Okay," Max said with a nod. "I'm sorry about that shit I said about Mike. I was angry. Hea great guy."

"He is," El agreed. "I like him a lot."

"No, really," Max asked with a sarcastic grin. "I had no idea."

El laughed – the regular Max was coming back. "Do you think you guys could be friends?"

"Totally. I'm pretty sure we already are anyway. Don't forget, our shared trauma links us forever."

"Shared trauma," El asked, confused.

Max rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you already forgot about the food fight at Benny's. We're always going to be connected to those nerds."

"Yeah, about that," El began, remembering something she'd been meaning to ask, "Do you like Lucas?"

"Excuse me?"

"Do you like Lucas? It seemed like you guys were talking a lot at Benny's."

"Oh, I heard you the first time," Max said. "And we were NOT talking. He was being a dick and I was defending myself."

"If you say so."

"I DO say so."

"Okay then."

"Okay."

El started giggling first – the tension of the morning leaving her body – and Max soon joined her. They wrapped each other in a tight hug and began walking slowly back up the steps of the cabin. As they walked through the front door, Mike stood up from where he sat on the sofa, an anxious expression on his face.

"Max, I am so sorry," he began earnestly. "You came here to see El, and I fucked that up. Let me get out of here so you guys can hang out."

Both El and Max began to speak up in protest, but Max beat her to it. "Relax, Wheeler. El already apologized. It's all good…seriously. Isn't there room in here for the three of us? I mean, I know it's a little small, but surely we can all fit."

El smiled hugely while Mike just sputtered. "Are…are you sure?"

Max raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah. We're all friends, and I'm pretty sure you're El's boyfriend now. That comes with the territory."

He and El looked at each other, eyes wide. They hadn't yet had the boyfriend/girlfriend/what-are-we talk.

"The point is, you're a good guy, Mike," Max continued. "Just don't fuck around with El, or I'll fuck YOU up."

Mike chuckled nervously. "Well considering El's telekinetic, I think SHE'D be the one to fuck me up."

"There you go," Max said with a nod of approval.

El couldn't help but feel grateful for Max and Mike. She cared for them both very much, and it seemed like they were getting along well. She looked forward to the day when they could hang out more with Dustin, Lucas, and Will as well.

Looping her arm through Mike's, El rested her head against him, grinning when she felt him place a soft kiss on the top of her head. …And there it was again – that ache between her legs. She really needed to ask Max about that when things calmed down. That reminded her…

"Max, why don't you tell us what happened this morning?"

Max felt her stomach muscles clench, the memory flooding back. "Okay, remember how I said there was a guy across the street watching me?"

Mike and El nodded. "Well," Max continued, "He looked like…I could have sworn it was…but it couldn't be…" she kept trailing off, her breathing picking up with each word.

El could tell Max was getting worked up. She broke away from Mike and put an arm around her. "Who," she pressed gently.

"You're going to think I'm crazy…but it looked like Billy," Max finally got out. "It couldn't have been, obviously. This guy was so pale and way too thin – Billy was always ripped. Probably exercised too much." She remembered his almost manic workout sessions. It seemed incredibly counterproductive that he would also have a cigarette dangling from his lips, and would stay hydrated with a can of beer. But Max could never convince him to do otherwise.

El's heart felt like it was in her throat. Billy. There he was again. It seemed an odd coincidence that she had a dream about him in the middle of the night, and then Max thought she saw him this morning.

There was no way it was him. It was simply impossible.

She began stroking Max's hair in what she hoped was a comforting manner. Remembering her earlier conversation with Hopper, she spoke up.

"Max, you're safe. I promise you that. You have nothing to worry about."

"But it looked so much like him," she persisted. "What if he's not actually dead? What if we buried him alive and then he dug himself out?" Max was hyperventilating again, practically hysterical.

El had never seen her friend quite this unhinged. It was unsettling. She continued to stroke Max's hair and looked at Mike, the worry evident in her eyes. He took that as a cue to try and make himself useful.

The scientific part of his brain took over. On the whole, women were more emotional creatures…not downplaying the hurt Max was feeling, of course. But maybe what Max needed was a gentle reminder of the facts. Digging into his logic and critical thinking skills, he was silent for a moment before speaking, not wanting to further upset her.

"Max, how many times have you visited Billy's grave," he asked carefully.

"I don't know…at least once a month, maybe."

"Has the ground there ever looked disturbed or out of place?"

Max shook her head. "No, I don't think so."

"If he had dug himself out of his grave, why would he wait for a whole year to show back up?"

"Good point…"

"And with the science and technology that we have today, I don't think the police and certainly not the coroner would have missed a pulse," Mike concluded.

He was pretty pleased with the logic he presented. He glanced at El, and she gave him an encouraging smile. However, the same was not true of Max. She was no longer hyperventilating, but her face was crumpled in pain and she was crying.

"Oh shit," Mike muttered. Maybe he'd gone too far?

Max let out a loud sniffle and looked at him and El. "I'm sorry," she choked out. "Mike, you're right. You're absolutely right."

"What's going through your head right now," El asked, leaning her chin on Max's shoulder.

"Well…when I saw what I did this morning, I was totally freaked out. Don't get me wrong," she began. "But I don't know. He was an asshole who was rude to me and my mom, he spent way too much time on his hair, and he used way too much fucking cologne," she said with a snort. "I miss him, though. I miss him a lot. I guess maybe I was still in denial, and this morning there was this faint glimmer of hope inside me that he might still be out there."

El nodded in understanding. "I'm so sorry, Max. Is there anything we can do?"

"Well, I could use some chocolate…a greasy burger sounds good, too," she said with a weak laugh. "But no, not right now. I'm glad I can trust you guys," she said fervently.

"We're here for you, Max," Mike added. "Please know that. And don't forget about Dustin, Will, and Lucas. They're good guys."

"Thanks, Mike. You're a good guy, too. El's a lucky girl," she said, winking at her friend.

Mike blushed. "Nah…I'd say I'm the lucky one."

El let out a breathy sigh, while Max began to gag. "Okay. That's enough mushy shit for one morning. I really wasn't kidding about the chocolate and burger. You guys want to go grab stuff from Benny's?"

"Are they open this early," El asked.

"Hell yeah they are," answered Max. "There are old guys who show up WAY earlier than this. Gotta get that senior discount," she cracked.

"I can go pick up the burgers," Mike volunteered. "I just don't want Hopper to come back to an empty house. He'd really be pissed."

El pouted slightly. "Are you sure?"

"I'm still trying to get into his good graces. I don't want him to think I'm irresponsible." He reached out and took El's hand. "And anyway, Max needs you. She's your best friend. You guys just hang out, and I'll be back before you know it."

Max smiled. "Cool…thanks, Mike. But if you come back without a chocolate shake for me…don't come back."

They all laughed. "Noted," he replied.

After he patted his pockets to make sure he had his wallet, El walked with him out onto the front porch. She wanted to ask him something before he left.

"Hey Mike?"

"Yeah?"

She took a deep breath and decided to dive right in. "Are you my boyfriend?"

"Huh…ah…what," Mike sputtered.

"It's just that Max mentioned earlier about you being my boyfriend. What do you…think of that?"

Mike certainly wasn't opposed to it. Max's statement earlier had caught him off guard, definitely. But he liked El so much, and if she'd have him, he was hers.

He leaned in and kissed her tenderly, trying to pour all of his emotions into that kiss. El wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, immediately darting her tongue out to taste his bottom lip and making him moan.

After another moment, Mike broke off the kiss and leaned his forehead against El's, both of them breathing heavily. "I want it, El. I'd love to be your boyfriend. Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

"Of course I do. I liked you from the moment I saw you," she said frankly.

"Then it's settled…girlfriend," Mike said with a grin.

"Okay…boyfriend."

"Okay. I'm going to head off. Do you want a chocolate shake, too?"

"Yes please!"

Mike gave her hands a squeeze before trotting over to his bike and peddling off, a very happy El watching him as he sped through the trees.

* * *

Max was right…even before lunch, Benny's was packed. It took Mike double the time it usually did to place his order. It was going to be worth it, though.

He waited at a table by the door while the food cooked, and allowed himself to relax. But he couldn't help overhearing the conversation at the next table.

"_I heard the Chief's got his work cut out for him today."_

"_Well that should be a nice change, eh?"_

"_Oh come on, I'm being serious. You hear about Larry Howard? He didn't come home last night."_

"_Big surprise there. They check his car? Probably just asleep."_

"_Well that's the thing. I guess they found his car, but Larry wasn't in it."_

"_He left it at the bar?"_

"_It wasn't at the bar. It was behind a gas station at the edge of town."_

"_What the hell? He get some gas and go take a walk or something?"_

"_And then not come back? Doesn't make any sense. His wife is crazy worried. I guess she was at the station first thing."_

"_How'd you find out about this anyway?"_

"_You know how Flo is. She tells someone, that someone tells someone else, and so on."_

"Wheeler! Food's ready!"

Mike had been so engrossed in trying to listen in, and the shout startled him terribly. He jumped and hit his knee on the underside of the table, muttering curses under his breath as he got up.

After a harried thanks, he grabbed the bag with the food and shakes and ran outside, eager to get back to El's. He was anxious to see his new girlfriend, but he couldn't deny that he was a little on-edge, too. He didn't like what those guys were talking about. It creeped him out. Literally nothing shady ever happened in Hawkins. But for someone to go missing? That was a huge deal.

The sooner he could get back to El's, the better.

* * *

Hi everyone, how are we feeling? I'm seeing pictures of the Stranger Things cast roll in from the red carpet at the SAG Awards. Go check them out if you haven't already. They're not kids anymore! And they're so color-coordinated.

Any recommendations for Netflix or Amazon Prime shows to watch? We just finished season 2 of Sex Education (I'm so upset over the ending, by the way), and I'm also in between Anne with an E and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Please leave me a review! I love to hear what you think of my story. Until next time.


	10. Chapter 9: Hearts on Fire

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Hearts on Fire**

"So, Hopper…spill," Max demanded, fixing El with a serious expression that meant no room for arguing.

"Spill what," replied a confused El.

While they were waiting for Mike to come back with the burgers and shakes, Max wanted to use the time to her advantage and get the juicy details from El's date last night.

"I want to hear about you and Mike's dinner last night, obviously!"

"Oh…" El trailed off, a giddy smile appearing on her face. "What do you want to know?"

"Um, everything…duh! What was he wearing?"

"A light blue shirt, red tie, and a tan jacket." El's eyes lit up as she remembered getting that first look at him as she walked around a corner.

"Nice. Good color combo," Max said. "OOOH. You guys matched! How cool was it that you ALSO had blue on?! So…what happened next?"

"He stood up and pulled my chair out for me."

Max put her hand on her heart. "Oh. My. God. That is so sweet. What a gentleman. And you told me about the wine glasses, which is super cool. Was he easy to talk to?"

"Totally. He's super funny. He does these silly voices…"

"Oh yeah," Max interrupted with a chuckle. "I remember now. 'Ello 'Awkins!'"

El laughed along with her. "Yes, there was lots of that. But it was such a magical night. I never wanted it to end."

They sat in silence for a moment, until Max raised her eyebrows expectantly. "Okay, so…what else happened?"

El's cheeks reddened as she thought of their kiss outside the restaurant. She never wanted that to end either.

Max saw the telltale blush on her cheeks and leaned forward, eyes wide. "Oh my god…did you guys kiss?"

El couldn't hold back the squeal that erupted from her mouth, similar to when she got in from her date last night. Max joined in and gave her a giant hug.

"Holy shit! Was it short? Was it long? Tell me EVERYTHING. Did he kiss you first?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…slow down," El began. "I kissed him first."

"That's my brave girl," Max replied with a fist pump. "Is he a good kisser?"

"Uh huh," El said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "We must have been kissing for a while. We got outside at 8:30, and Hopp didn't pick me up until 9."

"Wait a second! You were kissing outside?"

"Yeah. And it was a little chilly, so Mike gave me his jacket. He smelled so good…" El was going to have to give him that jacket back eventually, but only if he asked for it.

"El! Damn, girl! Good to know you aren't afraid of PDA's."

"What is a PDA?"

"Public Display of Affection. It's when people make out in front of a restaurant like you guys! Or in any public place for that matter. It's even as simple as holding hands."

El nodded in understanding. Then remembered something she needed some assistance with. "Max, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Well, when Mike came over this morning and we were kissing…"

"Wait, you kissed AGAIN?!"

"MAX," El admonished.

Max held her hands out in front of her in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. I'll shut up. Okay, so you were kissing…"

"Yeah, then Mike said he had to use the bathroom. When he came out, he looked weird."

"I'll bet," Max snickered. She had a feeling she knew why he might have looked strange.

"He said he had to 'take care of himself.' What does that mean?"

This time, Max full-on cackled. "Oh my god, oh my god." She shook her head in disbelief. "Well, El, it means that he was spanking the monkey."

El frowned. "A monkey? I don't have a monkey here."

"No, no…" She stood up and made kind of pumping motion with her hand. "Like…jacking the beanstalk."

"Jack in the Beanstalk? The story?"

"NO! Jack – ING, not 'Jack in.'" Max sighed. "Okay, this is a very important question I'm about to ask you, because I'll be seriously surprised if you don't know." She scooted close to El and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hopper told you how babies are made, right?"

El remembered that extremely embarrassing day, as she'd been watching one of her soap operas on TV. It wasn't long after she moved in with him. Two of the characters on the show had begun kissing passionately and started to remove each other's clothes.

"Hopp, what are they doing," El had asked.

"Who's doing what," Hopper asked back from the kitchen. He glanced over to the living room, took one look at what was on TV, and quickly strode over to turn it off. "Nope, not happening," he said sternly.

"But what were they doing," El persisted.

Hopper sighed heavily. This was not the kind of discussion he'd planned on having with her today, but he sat down with her and explained. It had been painful for them both to say the least, but it helped her a lot. He also explained to her that she should be expecting her period to start soon, that she couldn't have a baby if she hadn't started it. This knowledge came in handy when it appeared several months later…much to Hopper's dismay.

"_EL!"_

She was broken out of her memory by Max's shout. "Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you knew how babies are made."

"Yeah, Hopp told me."

Max let out a sigh of relief. "Well that's good. We can start with that. Sex obviously is what you do when you want to have kids. But people also do it because it feels good."

El was surprised. "But Hopp said you should wait to do it until you want to have kids."

"Hmph…figures he would tell you that," Max replied with a shake of her head. "Well, it's true that you should definitely wait until you're ready. But you don't have to do it JUST to have kids. You can have fun with it, too."

"Okay. So, what was Mike doing this morning in the bathroom? Sex?"

Max chuckled. "Sort of. You can make yourself feel good without another person there to help. Since you and Mike were kissing, he probably felt aroused."

El tried to put the pieces together in her head. "Like he wanted to have sex?"

"Exactly. So, if you're alone, you can touch yourself in a certain way that can make you feel the same way as when you're having sex. I bet Hopp didn't tell you THAT."

"No," El confirmed. She was quiet for a moment, her brain spinning a mile a minute. Sex was something she had never really thought about before. Hopper described it as sort of a means to an end. But now it sounded like it could actually be enjoyable.

And speaking of enjoying…

"Max, you said that Mike felt like he wanted to have sex. What does that mean?"

"Well physically, he got a hard-on. Like…you have to be physically aroused to have sex. He's got to get it up to get it in…" she trailed off, burying her face in her hands in embarrassment. Much as she liked helping her friend, she also felt very awkward talking about Mike's dick.

El couldn't help but wonder what that might have looked like. Her face got red at the thought.

"But," Max continued, "You also have to be ready emotionally, not just physically. Remember what I said about waiting until you're ready? Our bodies might be ready, but WE have to be ready, too. We're only 15, and sex is a big deal." She slung her arm around El. "You're my best friend, and I want you to be okay."

El smiled. "Thanks, Max. For the talk, and for being my friend." They lapsed into silence for a moment, until El remembered she had another question. "Max?"

"Yes, El?"

"How do girls know if they want to have sex?"

"Well, it's a little trickier since we don't have dicks," Max cracked. "But seriously…the only way I can describe it is like an ache. I get it sometimes when I look at pictures of Ralph Macchio," she offered helpfully.

El's mouth popped open. "That happened to me today, too, when Mike and I were kissing. I felt it between my legs."

Max grinned. "Sounds to me like your body wants to have sex!" She leaned in conspiratorially. "And hey, just remember that it's totally cool for girls to feel good, too. Mike shouldn't be the only one getting his rocks off in this relationship."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you should touch yourself, girlie!" El hesitantly began to undo the button of her shorts, much to Max's surprise. "Well not now, geez! Wait until later or something. And pro tip," Max began, "Your clit and your nipples are super sensitive. Don't limit yourself to just one area."

"What's the clit again?"

"It's that thing down there that looks like a bean. It's got a ton of nerves – really sensitive."

Just then, the secret knock sounded on the door. El had been so wrapped up in their discussion that she'd forgotten burgers and shakes were on the way. But she'd definitely have to remember her and Max's talk, and file away that knowledge for a time in the not so distant future.

Meanwhile, Max ran over to the door and pulled it open. Before Mike could even utter some sort of greeting, she snatched the bag with the food out of his hand and took it to the kitchen. He looked at El with amusement.

"Nice to know I'm good for something," he quipped.

El giggled and pulled him inside. "Welcome back," she said happily.

"I'm glad to be back. Benny's was nuts."

"Told you," chimed in Max, already taking a big bite of her burger.

Mike and El chuckled at the sight of Max stuffing her face, but Mike's smile quickly went away as he remembered the worrisome conversation he'd heard. This change did not go unnoticed by El.

"What's wrong," she asked.

He took a quick sip of chocolate shake before talking. "I heard something weird at Benny's while I was waiting for the food. Some guys were talking at a table nearby. I guess someone didn't come home last night – he's missing."

El nodded. "Hopp mentioned that earlier. Said he needed to sleep-it-off," she said slowly, remembering the phrase used.

Max snorted. "Then the guy's not missing. Just has his head in a toilet somewhere."

"No," Mike said with a frown. "These guys were saying how his car was found at the edge of town, behind a gas station. The car was empty."

"How would they know that," Max asked.

"They heard it from someone at the police station."

Max rolled her eyes. "Hmph, I guess good news travels fast."

"But it's NOT good news," replied El, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"I was being sarcastic, space cadet," Max explained. "It's definitely not good news. I think it's stupid how customers at Benny's would use it for gossip fodder."

"Well you know how it is in small towns," Mike began. "I'm not saying it's right, but it's happened before – stupid old guys with nothing to do. Nothing ever happens here. The last time anything big happened was probably…" he trailed off and looked guiltily at Max, his cheeks reddening.

Max nodded in understanding. "Yeah," she said quietly. It had been a while before the town shut up about Billy.

The three teenagers ate in silence for a few minutes, trying to let the awkwardness pass. El eventually spoke up.

"Well, I hope they find him."

"I hope so, too," Mike replied, catching a bit of stray ketchup from her upper lip with his finger. He stuck it in his mouth and crossed his eyes at her, making her laugh.

Max smiled at their interaction. "You guys are cute."

"Why thank you," said Mike. He flipped his hair, cheekiness coming out in full force. "I think it's the shirt. Brings out my eyes," he trilled in his British accent.

"You know I wasn't referring specifically to you," Max shot back at him.

"I know, I know." After a couple more bites of burger, Mike was done. He balled up the wrapper and threw it out, fist pumping as it sailed right into the trash. "So, what were you guys up to while I was gone," he asked, taking another sip of his shake.

Without batting an eye, El innocently replied, "We were talking about sex."

Mike spewed his mouthful of shake into the air, as Max practically choked on her bite of burger.

"WHAT?!"

* * *

LOL! And I'll just leave you with that. Sorry for the slightly shorter, filler chapter. I know it's probably not by best, but we are in the process of moving. I'll pick up right where I left off at the start of the next chapter. What did you think? I wanted this chapter to just be light and fun for the most part. It's important to remember that these are teenagers, and they are allowed to have fun…when they're not battling forces from another dimension.

I've been reading that there are quite a few new characters to be introduced in season 4. What do you think of them? In the meantime, please leave me a review. It's always helpful to know how my writing can be improved.


	11. Chapter 10: Do I Have to Say the Words?

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Do I Have to Say the Words?**

_Without batting an eye, El innocently replied, "We were talking about sex."_

_Mike spewed his mouthful of shake into the air, as Max practically choked on her bite of burger._

"_WHAT?!"_

"Yeah," El continued, nonplussed, "We were talking about how you don't have to wait until you want to have kids – that you can have it for fun, too."

Mike looked like he was about to throw up – he was white as a sheet. The usually sarcastic Max was uncharacteristically frozen in her seat.

El continued. "My body's also ready to have sex, but I have to be ready, too. Mike, are _you _ready to have sex," she asked seriously.

"I think I'll give you two some privacy," Max mumbled before bolting out of the kitchen and into El's bedroom.

Mike and El stood in silence for a moment before she spoke again. "Are you okay," she asked her very pale boyfriend.

He nodded very unconvincingly. "Doyouwanttositdown," he asked in a rush.

El squinted at him. "What?"

"Sorry," Mike replied. He very deliberately made sure he spoke slower. "Do you want to sit down?"

"Yes."

After sitting at the kitchen table, Mike took a deep breath before beginning. "El, I haven't known you for very long, but I like you…a lot."

She smiled. "I like you, too."

"I've never had a girlfriend before, so this is all new to me."

"Have you ever had sex?"

"God, no," Mike replied, slightly louder than usual. "Sorry…I'm nervous."

El understood. This was all new to her, too.

"None of the girls at school have really interested me. I've always been sort of oblivious to that kind of thing…until you, of course."

"What does that mean? 'Oblivious?'"

"It means that you're not really aware of something," Mike explained. "I've been totally happy hanging out with the guys playing D & D, stuff with the band, A/V Club. But with you? I want more," he said candidly.

"Sex?"

Mike laughed. "What's got you thinking about sex so much?"

"Since we kissed this morning," El began. "When you were between my legs, I felt something achy. Max told me that my body was ready to have sex. She also said you were 'spanking a monkey' in the bathroom," she said carefully, trying to remember the phrase.

Mike couldn't help but feel a mix of things. On the one hand, he felt incredibly embarrassed that El knew he was wanking off. He hoped she didn't think he was some sort of pervert. On the other hand, he felt more than a little turned on hearing how El was feeling during their kiss.

"Um, yeah…I was," Mike answered cautiously. "Is that okay?"

El nodded. "Yeah. Max said it can feel as good as when you're having sex. I want you to feel good."

"I want YOU to feel good, too," he replied, his cheeks reddening. "Promise me something?"

"What is it?"

"Please always tell me what's on your mind. We're not going to have sex until YOU'RE ready, okay?"

"But what about you," El asked with a frown. The way she saw it, he should be happy, too.

"What about me?"

"Don't you want to have sex?"

Mike shrugged. "Sure, someday. To be honest, I don't know if I'm ready yet. But I definitely won't be ready until you say you are. It's your call." He reached out and took her hand. "Remember, I like you so much. I'm not going to do anything you don't feel comfortable with."

El was suddenly bashful, and looked down shyly. "Thank you," she replied.

Mike leaned down and caught her gaze, smiling as he made eye contact with her. "You're welcome."

In that moment, El wanted nothing more than to show Mike how much she appreciated him. So she did.

She stood up and walked the few paces around the kitchen table. Cupping her hands around his cheeks, she leaned down and kissed him softly. Mike eagerly reciprocated, wrapping his arms around her waist. He gently pulled her onto his lap, and began trailing kisses up and down her neck, goosebumps appearing as he went. She closed her eyes and marveled at how good it felt.

Unfortunately, they'd forgotten that someone else was in the house. El's eyes popped open when she heard a floorboard creak, and she quickly jumped off Mike's lap as Max came around the corner.

"Well hey, don't stop on my account," Max said with a sly grin. "But all jokes aside, I should probably get going."

"What? Why," El asked, concerned. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, mom," Max replied with her trademark sarcasm. "I just wanted to give you guys some time alone. I feel bad for crashing your time together earlier."

Mike frowned. "Max, you were upset. I'm glad you came over, and I'm glad El was able to help."

"Thanks, Wheeler. I'm glad, too. But I've overstayed my welcome. We'll hang out another time, I promise."

Max walked over to El and gave her a tight hug. "You've got a good guy, El," she said. "I'm happy for you. Just try to have a little more filter next time, okay? I almost choked on my food when you started talking about your body being ready for sex."

El and Mike's faces reddened at the memory. But their embarrassment was forgotten as the secret knock soundly loudly on the door. El opened it to reveal a very out-of-breath Hopper, and he quickly came inside. His expression was worrisome.

"We've got a problem."

* * *

"Five people?"

"You heard me."

"But no one ever disappears in Hawkins."

"Yeah, it's way too fucking quiet here."

"Language!"

"I mean, you want to talk about disappearing, go to Indianapolis."

"It's probably five people a DAY that disappear there."

"QUIET!"

Hopper's shout broke up the mayhem that followed the news he brought home. There were now five disappearances. Five total people that either didn't come home last night or vanished in the early morning hours. The likes of this had never been seen in Hawkins before.

He continued, his voice eerily calm. "I need you to be quiet so I can think. I didn't know what to do, so I came home. I wanted to make sure you guys were okay."

"We're fine, Hopp," replied El, still seemingly unsure as to what was actually happening.

"I don't think you understand," Hopper began, raising his voice slightly. "Ever since I got into work this morning, I've had about one family per hour coming in to report someone missing."

"Who else is missing," Mike asked.

"Well, in addition to Larry, there's Heather Holloway, Bruce Lowe, Doris Driscoll, and Adam King."

Max's eyes widened. "Adam? He's only a couple of grades behind us in school. And Heather…" her voice shook a bit, "Heather was a lifeguard at the pool with Billy," she finished quietly.

Mike was silent for a moment before speaking. "Chief, do you think all these disappearances are connected to each other."

"Yeah kid, I do. Under no other circumstances would all these people just disappear at once. I've never seen anything like it here."

"Do you think the people are connected in any way," Max asked.

Hopper shook his head. "I don't think so. Bruce is a journalist at the Hawkins Post. And Doris? I've hardly seen her in recent years. As she's gotten older, she hasn't really gotten out much."

Mike frowned. "So why would she be out last night? If she doesn't go out, how could she disappear?"

"Jesus, I don't know. People do have to venture out occasionally," Hopper said in exasperation. "Like groceries, for example. Everyone's got to eat."

Just then, a faint voice sounded from outside. They all paused for a moment and listened. Realizing it was the radio in his car, Hopper bolted out the door. The three teens walked slowly to the open door and listened to the conversation that followed.

"_Hopper? Come in Hopper."_

"Yeah, Flo. What's going on?"

"_We've got another one."_

Hopper groaned and banged his head against the steering wheel, letting out an expletive before replying. "Who is it now?"

"_Monica Davis. She's a college student home for the summer."_

"When did it happen?"

"_Her parents are thinking last night or early this morning, like the others. She's a waitress at the Hideway."_

"And when did her parents discover she was missing?"

"_This morning. She usually works until closing time and comes home in the middle of the night. They checked her room after they woke up, and that's when they saw she was gone. Her car was gone, too."_

"Okay." Hopper let out a big sigh and paused. "What's happening, Flo," he asked lowly. "Because I've got to admit, I'm scared out of my damn mind."

"_I'm scared, too. But we've got to be strong and help these folks. They need us right now."_

"I know they do."

"_We've got to stay positive. Something will come to light."_

"Alright. I'll be back in soon."

Putting the mouthpiece down on his dashboard, Hopper let all his emotions come out. His shoulders shook as he cried. Half of the missing were no more than 20 years old. Any missing person was a concern, but these were just kids. He couldn't help but think of his Sara. But Flo was right – he needed to be strong right now, especially for his new daughter. He couldn't let her down.

He pulled himself together and slowly got out of the truck, wiping his eyes. Just on the other side of the door, the teens were looking at each other wordlessly. They didn't speak until Hopper walked through the door.

"Dad…" El began.

He held up his hand. "No, not now. You three are not to go anywhere for the rest of the afternoon. Mike and Max, I'll call your parents and let them know you're here. I don't know what the hell is happening, but I'll be damned if anything happens to you on my watch."

"But what about the others," Mike asked.

Hopper frowned. "Kid, what are you talking about?"

"Our other friends," Mike replied. "Dustin, Lucas, and Will. What if they're not safe? Shouldn't we invite them over?"

"No, you cannot invite them over! They need stay where they are, WHEREVER they are."

"But…"

"No buts," Hopper demanded. He patted his pockets to make sure he had his keys, then moved to head out the door again. "Remember, stay here. I'll give you an update as soon as I can." He walked briskly outside and started the car. With a squeal of the tires, he took off.

Back inside, they listened as he drove away. No sooner had the roar of the engine faded into the air than Mike spoke up.

"Well no offense, but fuck that."

El's mouth popped open in shock. "Mike."

He glanced ruefully at her. "I don't want to insult Hopper here, but in this situation, I don't think he's thinking clearly. There's strength in numbers. And anyway, I can't just sit here wondering if the guys are okay."

The gears began turning in El's head, something that did not go unnoticed by Max.

"What are you thinking about, El?"

"Well, we don't have to _wonder_ if they're okay," she began. "I could check on them."

"El no," Mike said worriedly. "I don't want you to risk getting hurt. _I'll _go check on them."

She shook her head. "No, not like that. I could visit them…in my head."

"Really," he asked in surprise. "I thought you could only move things telekinetically. That's amazing."

El blushed. "You don't think it's weird?"

"Of course not. You're like a friggen superhero."

That was the last thing El felt like, especially after what she saw in the void that day in the lab. The incident had scared her so badly, and she'd only attempted going back into the void a handful of times after.

"No, I'm just El," she said with a shrug.

Max smiled and slung her arm around her shoulder. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit. We think you're awesome."

El smiled back in return and reached for Mike's hand. She suddenly felt extremely grateful to have such supportive people in her life, and she was willing to revisit the void for her friends.

Looking between Max and Mike, El's resolve strengthened and she nodded. "Okay, let's do it."

* * *

El sat cross-legged in front of the sofa, the TV filling the air with its static white noise sound. A scarf was in her lap. She stared straight ahead, giving herself a mental pep talk.

Mike kneeled down in front of her, planting a kiss on her cheek. "You are so brave," he said softly. "Thank you so much for doing this. You really are a superhero."

She smiled at him and shrugged. "They're my friends, too. I want them to be okay."

"I want YOU to be okay, too," Mike replied earnestly. "Please don't push yourself too hard."

"We trust you, El," Max jumped in. "More importantly, you've got to trust yourself."

El nodded. "I'll be fine," she said confidently. "Nothing will hurt me."

She made eye contact with Mike once more, and he smiled encouragingly at her. Taking that as her cue, she tied the scarf over her eyes. And it wasn't long before she found herself in the void.

Taking a breath to steady herself, she began looking cautiously around, trying to absorb the blackness surrounding her.

"_Turn around…"_

El gasped and looked in the direction of the voice, cracking a grin when she saw it was only Dustin. As she edged closer to him, he grabbed a hairbrush off his dresser and began singing loudly into it.

"_Make believe I'm everywhere, given in the light…"_

She began to laugh, both in the void and sitting with Mike and Max. The two looked at each other in amusement.

"What is it," Max asked her.

"Dustin," replied El. "Singing with a hairbrush."

"What's he singing?"

The radio in the cabin suddenly roared with static, though it cleared in a couple of seconds. Soon enough, they were able to hear Dustin singing the lyrics to "Never Ending Story."

The teenagers roared with laughter. "Dustin's using a hairbrush mic for THAT song," Mike gasped out. "Priceless."

After they'd quieted a bit, El moved onto the next friend. Soon enough, she discovered Lucas sitting on his bed with his wrist rocket, his gaze trained ahead of him on his dresser. A small pile of rocks was next to him.

Wordlessly, he picked up a rock and pulled it back in the wrist rocket. El could now see that Lucas was focusing on several white figurines positioned on the dresser.

"_Daaaa-daaaa, da-da-da, daaaaaah-da, da-da-da, daaaaaaa da, da-da-da-daaaaaaaaa,"_ he hummed as he took out the figurines one by one.

Back in the Hopper cabin, the teens were laughing once again.

"What the hell is going on today with these guys," Max asked. "First Dustin, now Lucas and 'Star Wars.'"

At this, Mike stopped laughing and looked at Max as though she'd kicked his dog. "What's the matter with 'Star Wars?' I'll have you know that it's the greatest space opera of all time."

El sat up a little straighter, her blindfold still tight around her eyes. "What's 'Star Wars?'"

Mike gasped. "Oh my god…okay, we have GOT to watch it. El, you're going to love it. Maybe we can all watch it together."

Max snorted at that. "Hell no. I'm not a nerd."

"I think it could be fun," El replied. She'd take any opportunity she could to hang out with Mike. Maybe she would actually like the movie…the cherry on top. "Have you ever seen it, Max?"

"Well, no…but…"

"So how can you not like it," Mike pressed. "That settles it. We're going to have a movie night at my house. Be ready!"

El smiled at the thought of sitting in a dark room with Mike. Sure, she wanted to see the movie. But she also wanted to kiss the crap out of him. She shifted around at the thought, the ache between her legs coming back…

"You okay, El," she heard Max ask. "Your face is all pink."

Shit.

"Yes, I'm fine," she covered smoothly. "Ready to check on Will?"

Mike took her hand and gently squeezed it. "Go for it," he encouraged her.

Soon enough, El found herself back in the void, walking toward what looked like Will seated at his kitchen table. He had his boxes of colored pencils and crayons out, and was drawing. Coming up behind him, El looked over his shoulder. She smiled when she saw that he was drawing what looked like a fairy tale forest.

"Drawing," she said out loud to Mike and Max. "Will is drawing."

"He's super talented," Mike said. "His drawings are awesome."

El agreed. She could see the greens, blues, and purples in the picture, and thought she'd never seen anything more magical.

Suddenly, a loud bang startled them all. Will – who had a dark blue crayon in his hand at the time – jumped and left a long, dark mark on his page. He let out a muttered curse, and flung the crayon across the table. Standing up, he began to investigate the source of the noise.

It didn't take long before he figured out what was wrong.

Peering out his back window, Will saw the toolshed door wide open – a large pile of metal on the ground already. He opened the back door and yelled out, "HEY," thinking it was some punk kid messing around. He wasn't prepared for who it actually was.

Two figures walked casually out of the shed – a tall, thin man flanked by a woman. They looked extremely unwell. Both were deathly pale, their hair was scraggly, and it looked like their clothes had seen better days.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the man sneered, "We didn't realize anyone was home."

At that moment in the Hopper cabin, both Max and El gasped – El, because she recognized the face and Max, because she recognized the voice.

_Billy._

* * *

Hi everyone! It's been awhile…about a month. We're just finishing getting settled into our new house, so I'm hoping the next chapter will come quicker. In the meantime, I'd love to know what you thought of this one. Please leave me a review.

Have any of you watched "I Am Not Okay with This" on Netflix? It's quirky and adorable, and I watched it twice in two days. I may watch it a third time this week. In my opinion, we could all use a friend like Stanley Barber in our lives. Kind of makes me want to mix up a martini and dance to the "King of Rock and Roll." But maybe tomorrow, as I am very sleepy. Have a great night, and please remember to review!


	12. Ch 11: Can't Stop This Thing We Started

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Can't Stop This Thing We Started**

_Two figures walked casually out of the shed – a tall, thin man flanked by a woman. They looked extremely unwell. Both were deathly pale, their hair was scraggly, and it looked like their clothes had seen better days._

"_Oh, I'm sorry," the man sneered, "We didn't realize anyone was home."_

_At that moment in the Hopper cabin, both Max and El gasped – El, because she recognized the face and Max, because she recognized the voice._

_Billy._

The girls were frozen in place. El could feel her heartbeat in her throat.

"Yeah," they heard Will begin. "This is my house. What the hell are you doing?"

"We were just looking for some supplies," Billy drawled, him and his female companion moving closer to Will.

The hairs on Will's neck went up immediately. Something was very wrong.

"What supplies, exactly," he asked, trying to mask his fear. Slowly, and so as not to attract attention, he grabbed onto the handle of the baseball bat behind the door.

"Oh, you know," the female spoke up, a teasing sound to her voice. "Odds and ends, this and that."

Billy laughed, a hoarse and rough sound to it. "She's a coy one, this one," he said, jabbing a thumb in her direction. "Truth is, kid, we're on kind of a mission."

"What kind of mission?"

"Would you like to find out?"

Will edged inside slightly. "I-I don't know. What do you mean?"

Back at the Hopper cabin, the teens had heard enough. Both Max and El were crying, Max almost unconsolably so. Mike quickly grabbed his walkie talkie from his bag and shouted into it.

"COME IN, WILL! GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE! RUN!"

Will's eyes widened at Mike's voice coming from his walkie talkie, which was sitting on the kitchen counter. He turned to face Billy and the woman, who he was startled to find were now standing just a couple steps below him.

"Yeah, Will," Billy snarled. _"Run."_

He moved to lunge for Will, but Will was smaller and quicker. He grabbed the baseball bat and whirled around, clocking Billy in the stomach with it. It was enough to knock Billy off his feet, and he tumbled down the back steps right into his companion. Will took the opportunity to grab his walkie talkie and bag, and ran out the front door as fast as he could.

"Come in, Mike," he said hurriedly, hopping on his bike and speeding down the driveway.

El straightened in her seat, the scarf still tight over her eyes. "He's on his bike," she said.

"Will! Where are you?"

"Where are YOU? And how did you know to call me?"

"It's a really long story, but I need you to trust me, okay?"

"Obviously I do."

"Okay, I know you're on your bike. I want you to bike to the intersection of Smith and Elm. I'm going to come meet you and bring you somewhere safe. Over and out."

El ripped off her scarf at this, her eyes wild with terror. "Mike, no! What if something happens to you?"

Mike set his walkie talkie down and kneeled next to her, cupping her face in his hands. Max couldn't help but think she was looking at something incredibly private, even though it was three feet in front of her. She had to look away.

"El, I promise to be careful," Mike said quietly. "But Will is one of my best friends. I can't just leave him to his own devices. Once I get to him, I'll bring him back here, okay? We can all be here together."

She sniffled loudly, but nodded in understanding. If Max was in trouble, she'd do anything to find her and make sure she was safe.

"Promise," El whispered.

Mike nodded with a small smile, and leaned in to give El a sweet kiss. "I'll be back soon."

He stood up and looked at Max. "I shouldn't be long. The spot I told I told him to meet me isn't far from here." With one last glance around the cabin and a lingering look at El, Mike walked out the front door.

It was at that point that El and Max's resolve crumbled. They collapsed into each other's arms in tears – El because she was scared for Mike and for her friends, Max because this was the brother that she supposedly buried last year.

"El, what the fuck is happening," Max choked out. "It WAS Billy I saw this morning. How is this even possible?"

"I don't know," she replied quietly.

"I mean, who the fuck did we bury? Is he a damn zombie or something? You saw how he looked, right?"

It was hard for El to forget. She thought back on the thin, gaunt man in the void and how sick he looked. But it wasn't just his appearance she thought about. It was the evil gleam in his eyes – the danger she felt, and she wasn't even physically AT Will's house.

"Yes. I saw."

Max gasped suddenly. "Oh my god. What do we tell my mom and Neil? DO we tell them?"

El wasn't so sure. She could just imagine how that conversation would go.

"_Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Hargrove. So, you know how your son drowned at the pool last summer? How you had a funeral for him and everything? Well, we have pretty solid proof that he's actually alive…or something like it. Your daughter's telekinetic friend found him in the void, and we think he may have tried to kidnap their friend…along with other people around town."_

Yeah, that wasn't happening.

El shook her head. "I don't think we should tell them. Not yet. We don't even know what's really happening yet."

Max nodded. "I think you're right. WE certainly don't know what the fuck is going on. How could we expect them to make sense of it?"

"Exactly."

"We need some answers though," Max continued, her toughness coming back. "We deserve at least that, I think."

"What do you think we should do," El asked.

"I say we start at the beginning. We need to find out exactly what happened the night Billy died. We need to go talk with someone at the pool."

El frowned. "Didn't your mom and Neil do that already?"

"Well, yeah…but I wasn't there, remember," Max said, looking at El intently. "I was otherwise occupied helping a certain space cadet."

"Oh right," said El sheepishly.

"Hey, we should also ask Hopper what he and the other officers found out, right? They'd probably know a ton of stuff."

"Do you think he would even be allowed to tell us," El asked. "Isn't that private?"

"Ha," Max scoffed, "Screw privacy. I lost my brother. And people's lives are at stake right now. Based on what happened with Will, Billy's probably the one behind these missing people. But why?" Her voice broke on that last word. "Why is he doing this. The Billy I knew was a jackass, but he wouldn't try to kidnap anyone."

El held Max close, letting her cry it out. The truth was, she wasn't sure if she was totally into digging deeper into Billy's death. The thought creeped her out, and she had a bad feeling that something more sinister was behind all this. But Max was also her best friend, and she'd do anything to help her.

"We'll find out what happened, Max. I promise."

* * *

For Mike, meeting up with Will was going to prove to be the least eventful part of his mission.

After he'd found Will hiding behind a tree at the intersection of Smith and Elm, they decided to play it safe and get the other members of the party. They were stronger when they were together. Neither Mike nor Will liked the idea of Dustin and Lucas sitting at home by themselves when kidnappings were happening at an alarming rate.

"Come in, Dustin and Lucas. This is a CODE RED, over," Mike radioed as he biked.

"This is Dustin, over."

"What's up, Mike? Over," replied Lucas.

"It's a long story, and I'll explain once we get to El's house…"

"El's house? Awww," Dustin cooed.

"Cut it out, Dustin," Will interrupted on his own walkie talkie. "Not a good time for that."

"Will," Lucas asked. "What are you doing there?"

"Like Mike said, it's a long story and we'll explain later. But Hawkins is in serious danger. We're coming to get you two so we can all be safe together. Grab a backpack and wait by your front doors. Dustin, we'll get to you first. Over and out."

Mike's eyes widened. "Well damn, that was authoritative."

"Dustin's a funny guy, but I don't have time for his shit right now." The tone in his voice made Mike glance quickly over at Will. He noticed that his eyes looked red.

"Will…"

"Not right now, Mike," he replied sharply. "I just need to think. Let's just go get Dustin and Lucas. We can talk once we get to El's."

Mike could understand. A lot had transpired since he'd arrived at El's that morning, and HE hadn't been the victim of an attempted kidnapping.

They rode in silence the rest of the way to Dustin's, but once they got there, Mike immediately pulled his walkie talkie out.

"Come in, Dust-"

He was interrupted by Dustin's front door opening. Dustin quickly scurried outside and grabbed his bike, tipping his baseball hat to his friends in the process.

"Hello, good sirs! I was waiting by the window and saw you coming," he said jauntily.

"We appreciate your timeliness, Dustin," Will said gratefully. Mike suspected he felt bad for speaking to Dustin slightly harsher than he normally would…even if Dustin did deserve it sometimes.

"I don't suppose you can tell me what's going on," Dustin asked as they began biking.

"Not until we get to El's place," Mike said. "Her and Max are there waiting. I want us to pick up Lucas and get back there as quickly as possible."

"So you guys can suck face, right," cackled Dustin.

"No-"

"Dustin, stop," Will said, pausing for a second. "I bet they've done enough of that already anyway," he teased lightly.

"What the hell, Will," Mike replied in shock. "You're supposed to be the nice one."

"So, what does that make me," asked Dustin

"Full of shit," Mike deadpanned.

Will burst into laughter as Dustin grasped his chest with one hand. "Michael Wheeler! How dare you insult me in such a manner!"

"What, you can dish it out but you can't take it?"

Dustin pondered this thoughtfully for a moment. "No, and I'll tell you why. Because I'm the resident funny man of the party."

"Psh, okay. I don't get to be funny, too?"

"No. There's only room for one. Tough luck, amigo."

Mike and Dustin continued to bicker as they rode on, unaware that Will was squinting at something in the distance. He had a bad feeling he know what it was, or rather, who.

"Guys," Will interrupted firmly, stopping his bike. "Shut up for a second and look."

The brakes on the other two boys' bikes squealed as they came to a halt. They looked ahead, about 100 feet up the street. They were on Lucas' street and from what it looked like, someone that lived in the house across the street was getting carried outside by a man and a woman. The man was holding his arms, and the woman his legs. Another man was standing off to the side, keeping guard.

There was now no doubt in Will's mind that this was Billy.

He nudged Mike and mouthed, "_That's HIM."_

Mike's eyes widened and he glanced at Dustin, who was gaping open-mouthed at the scene.

"What the f-"

Mike clamped his hand over Dustin's mouth. Leaving their bikes in the road, the boys quickly darted behind a thick tree trunk that was just up the curb.

Dustin was struggling against Mike's hand, but they all stilled as they heard a voice call out.

"Who's there?"

They glanced at each other in fear, not making a sound.

"I said who's there," the owner of the voice sing-songed.

"Billy, come on," another voice interjected. "We need to take care of this one before he wakes up."

There was a pause. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's take him to the backyard."

After a minute or so, Mike cautiously looked around the tree trunk. Billy and the others were gone. He motioned to Will and Dustin, and they grabbed their bikes and quickly ran down the street. As they ran, Mike spoke into his walkie talkie.

"Lucas, come in, over!"

They stopped in front of his house and waited. "Lucas, come in, over," Mike repeated.

The boys started to grow antsy. Had something happened to him?

"Lucas, come in, o-"

At that moment, the front door opened and Lucas hurried out.

"Oh, thank god," Will muttered.

"Jesus christ, what the hell were you doing," Dustin asked.

"Hello to you, too," Lucas replied sarcastically. "I was in the bathroom – I had to pee."

"Shit, you couldn't have taken your walkie talkie in there?"

"Why the hell would I have done that?"

Mike rolled his eyes. "Will you two just shut up! We need to get out of here before those guys come back."

"_Too late," _an eerie voice drawled behind them.

The boys froze, and turned slowly to find Billy and three others standing there – two other men and one woman. One of the men had a bloody bump on his forehead, which he was slowly dabbing with the sleeve of his shirt.

Lucas' eyes widened at the sight of him. "Mr. Harris," he asked, "What happened to you?"

"Hey kid," Billy interrupted, "I don't think that's any of your business."

"Yes, it is. He's my neighbor."

"Oh shut the fuck up," the woman said impatiently. "He doesn't belong to anyone but _him_."

"Anyone but who," Will asked. He felt a tiny bit braver speaking up with his friends there.

Billy laughed. "Well, look who it is. Will, isn't it? It's a shame, you left so early. We had plans for you."

"Yeah, I heard about those plans," Mike spoke up angrily. "You tried to kidnap him. That's really fucked up."

"Holy shit," Dustin mumbled under his breath.

"Now now," Billy began, "Kidnap is such a harsh word. I just figured we could use him towards the greater good."

"The greater good?"

"Yeah, the greater good. Times are changing, and the world isn't what it used to be," replied Billy. He and the others began circling slowly are the four boys. "_He's_ tired of taking a backseat," he snarled. "We can help _him_."

Mike was exasperated. "Who the hell is this _him _you keep talking about?"

"The future," Billy said simply. He glanced at the others. "Guys, what do you say? There's four of us and four of them…"

The group surrounding the boys looked at each other and grinned evilly, their pale faces taking on an unearthly shine.

"Three, two…"

"_AHHHHHHHH!"_

A piercing scream broke through the air as what felt like a shock wave ripped through them all. The boys cowered on the ground as the four others were picked up and flung in opposite directions, hitting the ground with a thud. They lay motionless.

There was only one person who could be responsible for this.

Mike glanced frantically around until he locked eyes with his own personal superhero, walking from one end of the street. Her ears and nose were dripping with blood, and she was trailed cautiously by Max.

His El.

* * *

Well that was a doozy! Welcome back. I hope everyone is staying well. I haven't forgotten about you guys. I've been working from home, and I've been finding that after I spend the day on the computer, I don't really want to go back to the computer and write. But I love this story so much, and I'm dedicated to finishing it.

Has anyone picked up any new hobbies in quarantine? Let me know. Please review, and stay safe!


	13. Chapter 12: Before the Night is Over

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Before the Night is Over**

_A piercing scream broke through the air as what felt like a shock wave ripped through them all. The boys cowered on the ground as the four others were picked up and flung in opposite directions, hitting the ground with a thud. They lay motionless._

_There was only one person who could be responsible for this._

_Mike glanced frantically around until he locked eyes with his own personal superhero, walking from one end of the street. Her ears and nose were dripping with blood, and she was trailed cautiously by Max._

_His El._

The silence was deafening as the boys took in the scene before them. The only sounds were El and Max's shoes as they made contact with the pavement.

When the girls were about ten feet away, Mike snapped out of his stupor and jumped up, wrapping El in a tight hug. She collapsed in his arms, crying quietly in exhaustion.

"Oh thank god," he murmured. "Thank god for you. Are you okay?"

She nodded tiredly. "I was worried, Mike. You weren't coming back."

"Yeah, what the fuck, Wheeler," Max interrupted. "You said you weren't going to be gone long. We were both really fucking worried about you."

Mike shot a glare in Max's direction, before promptly turning back to El. "I am so sorry to have worried you. And I'm sorry, too, Max," he said with a pointed glance, raising his voice slightly. "Once I met up with Will, I knew we had to get Dustin and Lucas. We couldn't leave them alone."

Max turned to the other boys, her steely gaze softening slightly when she made eye contact with Lucas. He waved sheepishly at her, causing a light pink color to rise into her face. She promptly tried to hide it with another glare at Mike.

"What," he asked, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "There were party members that were in need of assistance. One of our rules is that if there is a party member-"

"Or members," Dustin interjected.

"Or members," Mike continued with an eye roll, "In need of assistance, it is our duty to provide that."

"Okay, but you could have at least used your walkie talkie and let us know," Max argued.

"I…I…um-" Mike stuttered. He didn't really have a good answer for that. He let out a huff in frustration. "Look, it was a stupid oversight on my part. What more do you want? I said I was sorry."

El reached down to take his hand and smiled at him. "Mike, it's okay. We forgive you. I would have helped my friends, too."

Max was annoyed. She hated losing arguments, but had to admit the validity of El's statement.

"Yeah okay," she said with a long sigh. "Let's just forget about it. You guys ready to head over to El's place?"

They all nodded.

"Good." Max glanced over at the four bodies lying on the ground. "We'd better go before they get up."

"I'll lead the way," Mike volunteered. "El, do you want to hop on?"

El would take any excuse she could get to be close to her boyfriend. Smiling happily, she hopped on the back of his bike and wrapped her arms around his waist. This was a great position for her – it gave her easy access to nuzzle Mike's fluffy hair and give him a kiss on the cheek…something that did not go unnoticed by their friends, as evidenced by the chorus of "Oooooo's" around them.

Mike promptly gave them all the finger and sped off, making El squeal and giggle. "Last one there's a loser," he called.

"Shit, don't be like that, Mike," Dustin called as he hustled onto his bike.

"Yeah, we were just messing around," Lucas added as he and Will followed quickly.

The last person to mount her bike was Max, who took one more look at Billy lying on the ground. She was done crying for now. Now, she was just feeling angry and disgusted. She didn't know what to believe about him anymore.

"Fuck you, Billy," she muttered, pedaling off aggressively.

No matter what else happened, she was going to get to the bottom of this.

* * *

Back at the Hopper cabin, the group was sitting spellbound around El as she demonstrated her powers. El and Max had spent a considerable amount of time telling their story about how they met, what had happened with Billy, and what El could do with her abilities (which included finding the boys in the void). Of course, the three other boys had been sworn to not say a word about it.

But everyone was quiet now as they watched her levitate the heavy dictionary.

Lucas eventually broke the silence when he noticed El's nose bleeding. "Are you okay," he asked. "Does it hurt at all?"

"No, it doesn't hurt," she replied, still concentrating on the dictionary. "This…with my nose…it always happens when I do this."

"That means you guys can't just go around asking El to lift this and throw that," Mike said protectively. "We don't want to drain her energy."

"I understand," Will said with a kind smile. "It's like you're a battery, El, and you don't want to completely lose battery life."

She laughed softly. "Yes, I suppose that's right. I always try to rest after I use them."

Dustin let out a loud exhale. "This is seriously crazy. You're awesome, El." Of course, being Dustin, he tentatively reached his hand into the air under the dictionary. He didn't mean harm, but it made El lose her concentration and the book fell down with a thud.

"Heh…" he laughed nervously. "Shit. I'm sorry, El."

El cocked an eyebrow at him. "Well, Dustin, you know what they say."

Mike was the only one of the group that noticed the almost imperceptible flick of El's head. He looked behind where they were sitting towards the kitchen, and his eyes widened at the sight of a very wet sponge floating towards Dustin.

"What does who say," Dustin asked.

"Don't mess with a telekinetic teenager." With that, the dripping sponge wrung itself out over Dustin's head.

"SHIIIIIIIIIITTT," he squealed as everyone roared with laughter.

Max high-fived El. "That was priceless," she choked out.

"Yeah, remind me never to get on your bad side, El," said Lucas.

For just a moment, they were silly teenagers. There were no disappearances or weirdness with Billy. For a moment, they almost forgot about everything going on.

Almost.

Will was the first to stop laughing as he remembered his run-in with the mystery man and woman. The others quickly followed suit.

"So, do you know why they're doing it," he asked. "Why they're trying to kidnap people?"

"They're not just trying, they're succeeding," Lucas said. "You saw Mr. Harris. One minute they were carrying him outside, the next minute he was one of them. Like a zombie."

Max scoffed. "Well that would explain Billy suddenly not being dead."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been trying to wrack my brain all day, trying to figure out how Billy could somehow be alive," she replied. "When I saw him this morning across the street from me, I thought I was hallucinating. But then El went into the void to check on you guys, and that's when we heard him try to come after Will."

"So you think Billy and those guys are zombies," Mike asked, wide-eyed.

"I don't know," Max said.

"Is that even scientifically possible," asked Dustin. "Because I always thought zombies were sort of a myth."

Lucas barked out a laugh. "Are you kidding? YOU were the one who practically pissed yourself when we saw _Day of the Dead_ last year."

"We both agreed to never speak of that again, Lucas…"

"Guys, shut up," Will said in exasperation. "Look, if they're not zombies, maybe they're similar to them. Those guys looked super pale and weird."

"I don't know. I mean, is there some way to find out for sure if they're zombies," Mike asked.

"We could follow Billy," Lucas suggested. "We could see what kind of patterns he and the others get up to."

Will's eyes widened. "No way. That's way too dangerous. I don't want them to try and get us again."

"Yeah, once was enough for me," Dustin agreed.

"Well what do you suggest, then," Lucas asked sarcastically. "We go to the cemetery and check out Billy's grave? See if he's actually buried there?"

"Yeah." Max suddenly spoke loudly and confidently. "Let's do it."

"Uhhhh…" Lucas stuttered, "I was being sarcastic."

"Well, I'm totally serious," she said. "I'm so sick of Billy's shit. I'm sick of acting like a victim. He was a fuckwad in life, and he's still a fuckwad now. I am not going to have some half-dead piece of shit and his sheep scare me."

The others stared at her silently until El moved forward and looped her arm through Max's. "Max, are you sure," she asked quietly.

"Yeah, I really am. I have to know."

El nodded. "I understand." Looking at the guys, she asked, "Are you going to come with us?"

Unsurprisingly, Mike immediately stepped forward. "Absolutely."

"I will, too," Lucas said, eliciting a small smile from Max.

Will shuffled forward. "I'm a little nervous, but I'll come, too."

"So will I," Dustin said enthusiastically.

"You're not going to piss yourself, are you," Lucas asked with a smirk.

"Lucas, stop," he replied. "One of our party members is in need of assistance. You remember what Mike said? It is our duty to provide that."

"Wait, what," Max asked. "You want me to be a member of the party?"

"After what we've all been through together, hell yeah," Dustin said, sharing a nod with the boys.

"To elaborate on Dustin's enthusiasm," Mike spoke up, "You and El saved our asses big time today. It would be an honor for you BOTH to join."

El beamed at him. "I'd love to. Do I have to do anything?"

Mike walked the few steps over to her and cupped her face in his hands. "Just be you. That's more than enough." With that, he leaned down and kissed her. The whistling and catcalling of their friends was hardly heard over the buzzing in their ears

Dustin, of course, could always be counted upon to ruin a moment. He picked up a pillow from the sofa and gently swung it at the kissing couple. They broke apart, cheeks flaming pink.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Paladin sir," he said cheekily, "But I believe you have to be the one to put it to a vote."

Mike laughed sheepishly. "Alright, alright. All those in favor of El and Max joining the party say 'aye.'"

The boys all spoke 'aye' loudly and clearly.

"Then I hereby declare El Hopper and Max Mayfield to be members of the Maple Street party, with all rights and privileges thereof."

They all cheered, and Mike excitedly picked El up and spun her around in a circle. She squealed and laughed, stumbling a bit as he put her down. She and Max were promptly grabbed by the other guys for a hug, too.

"So now that that's done," Will began, "What should their characters be?"

"I think it's pretty obvious that El is our Mage," Mike said with a smile and wink at her.

She frowned in confusion. "What's a Mage?"

"The Mage is a wizard," he explained, "But not just any wizard. Mages are sort of all-purpose, meaning they can cast ANY wizardly spell. It's super cool."

"Oh wow," El replied. She had no experience with Dungeons and Dragons, but felt extremely flattered. "What are _your _characters?"

"Well, Dustin is our Bard, which is kind of a jack-of-all-trades. But he's also a storyteller and a poet-"

"What, someone who talks way too much," Max interrupted, making the others laugh. "Yeah, that doesn't sound anything like Dustin."

"Hey, I resent that," he retorted back. "Sounds like somebody's just jealous."

"Anyway," Mike cut in, "Lucas is our Ranger. A Ranger is a hunter or adventurer. They're great defenders, very resourceful."

"Oh shucks, Mike," Lucas said, teasingly. He continued, "Will is our Cleric. That's kind of similar to a knight. They combine military and religious training with a code of protection and service. And Mike…well, you've probably heard that Mike is our Paladin. The Paladin is a brave warrior like the legendary Sirs Lancelot and Galahad."

El couldn't help but internally swoon at the thought of Mike as brave Sir Lancelot. She'd heard of the Knights of the Round Table, and began to picture Mike on horseback…Mike slaying a dragon… It was perfect.

"So what character should I be," Max asked, interrupting El's fantasies.

"I think that one is also easy," Lucas spoke up. "You're a Fighter. A Fighter in Dungeons and Dragons is sophisticated and skilled in combat, capable of anything. They've stared death in the face, and defeated it."

Max cast her eyes downward, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"Uh…yeah," Dustin said, clearly stunned. "Looks like I'm not the only one who has a way with words."

Will smiled. "Well done, Lucas."

Lucas looked a tad sheepish. "I hope it was okay that I just went ahead and chose a character without talking to you guys."

Mike shrugged lightly. "No worries. I mean, I went ahead and gave El her character name without asking."

"Well, you're our Paladin," Will reasoned. "And it totally fits her," he added, smiling at El.

"And anyway, El's his girlfriend. What's your excuse, Lucas," Dustin asked playfully.

Lucas' eyes widened. "Oh. I, um…I didn't mean…"

Dustin's snorts interrupted Lucas' stuttering. "Oh my god, your face! I'm kidding. I think Max is a perfect Fighter."

"Well then, it's settled," Mike said. "Now, before we get off track, I think we should come up with a game plan for going to the cemetery. Now Max, one last time, are you sure you want to do this?"

If Max wasn't totally sure before, the sight of her friends – the Party – smiling in encouragement was more than enough to convince her.

"Absolutely."

* * *

Several hours later, Lucas' street was quiet. Unlike the excitement of earlier, it was also empty – the four bodies that were on the ground before, long gone. But despite the quietness, something was there that hadn't been before. It was a heaviness, an anger, a negative energy.

This energy had been building – first released when the girl opened the gate last year. The Lab had unsuccessfully tried to shut it away, but it could not be contained. Now it was back, and through its minions, meant to take over the earth.

But now it had a new goal.

It was clear that this girl was not a help, but a hindrance. Who was she to hurt the ones trying to help it? If they didn't find her soon, this could mean the end of them.

The girl had to die.

* * *

Uh oh! Things are really picking up now. Our party is all together again! For that reason, this is a favorite chapter of mine. I love writing Dustin. I can totally hear Gaten in my head speaking the lines as I write. I should tell you that for the record, I am not a wealth of knowledge on Dungeons and Dragons. If anything I wrote is incorrect, I am so sorry. I'm doing my best.

Hopefully you're all staying safe and healthy. Please leave me a review. I'd love to hear what you think.


	14. Chapter 13: Cuts Like a Knife

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

**As a warning, this chapter may be a little too intense and scary for some. Read with caution.**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Cuts Like a Knife**

That night, the bike ride to the Hawkins cemetery was tense and quiet. The kids made a sort of caravan with their bikes, riding single-file behind each other. Max led the pack. It was her mission, after all. She was followed by Mike and El. When Mike wasn't paying attention to the road, he was looking from right to left, scanning to make sure they weren't being followed. Lucas was bringing up the rear. He, too, was scanning the road, but also kept an eye on the road behind them when he could…carefully, of course.

Dustin and Will were between Mike and Lucas on their bikes. Out of the party, these two were the most nervous about the whole thing and you could see it on their faces. Will was always the most sensitive of the party members, good at both understanding and feeling emotion. This day would have been enough for him, even without the attempted kidnapping.

And Dustin? Well, of course he didn't think zombies were a myth. That was total bullshit. As they biked, he ran through a list of items they'd need for a zombie apocalypse, just in case Billy and the others DID turn out to be zombies.

But despite their fears, the two boys weren't going to turn their backs on their friends. They would never.

Soon enough, the gates of the cemetery loomed in front of them. Those wrought iron gates were even more imposing at night. The kids stopped their bikes and stared up at them for a moment.

"I'm going to ask one more time," Mike spoke quietly, "Are you sure you want to do this, Max?"

She was fiercely determined, but she couldn't lie and say she w_asn't _nervous.

"Yes," she answered, "But I'm a little scared, to be honest."

El walked over and wrapped an arm around her. "We're here for you, Max. It's okay to be scared. I'm scared, too."

Lucas stepped around to Max's other side and nudged her gently. "Do you want to go over the plan again?"

She nodded hurriedly. "Yes, please."

"Okay," he said. "You're going to lead us over to Billy's gravesite. We're going to do a quick look around the area to see if the ground has been disturbed at all."

"If it has," Mike continued, "We know that we probably don't have to look any further."

"Yeah, zombie apocalypse time," Dustin breathed, tugging on his hat anxiously.

"Dustin," Mike hissed, putting a finger to his lips. "So…if the ground hasn't been disturbed-"

"Then it's my turn," El said. "I…bring up the casket, and we check."

The kids visibly shuddered at that.

"El, are you absolutely positive about this," Mike asked. "I just don't want you to overdo it and hurt yourself."

El smiled softly at him and tucked an errant piece of curly hair behind his ear. "Yes, I am. I promise."

He returned her smile and nodded. "Okay. We're going to get in and out as quickly as possible. Dustin, Lucas, and Will?"

"We're acting as lookouts," Will said. "We'll surround you guys and use our flashlights to be sure we're not being followed."

"Good," Mike replied. Slowly, he pushed open the heavy cemetery gate, gritting his teeth as it made a high-pitched squeaking noise.

The group froze, listening quietly to make sure the noise hadn't attracted unwanted attention. When they were satisfied that enough time had passed, they all let out a collective breath.

Mike gestured inside the cemetery. "After you, Max."

Max squared her shoulders and stoically walked forward, the others trailing behind her. It was interesting how nighttime changed the look of the cemetery. It wasn't a particularly large cemetery, but the absence of light made it positively eerie. You couldn't see very far in front of you, even with a flashlight. It gave the illusion that the cemetery was much bigger.

After just a couple more minutes of walking, they reached their destination.

_William Hargrove_

_1967-1985_

_Beloved son and brother_

"_Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come."_

Max stared at the headstone, contempt written on her face. Her mother thought they should put some beautiful quote on it to honor Billy. Max thought he didn't deserve shit. But how coincidental that quote was.

A new dawn was, in fact, here.

"Max?" El's soft voice broke Max out of her thoughts. "I don't see anything weird. Do you?"

A quick visual inspection of the gravesite showed nothing amiss. The grass in front of and behind the headstone was perfectly flat.

"Shit," Dustin muttered. "Shit, shit, shit."

"Okay guys," Mike said. "Time for plan B. El? Are you sure-"

"Mike," she hissed, "I've got this. I need you to trust me, please."

He glanced around at the others, whose faces ranged from surprise to amusement. Now was the time for him to be understanding and trusting. El knew what her limits were.

"Okay, yeah," Mike replied. "No problem. Sorry."

He heard Lucas laugh quietly, and quickly covered with a cough when Mike turned to glare at him.

They formed a wide circle around the gravesite – the boys facing out with their flashlights, and the girls facing in.

Mike could tell the precise moment when it had begun. He could feel the ground tremble beneath his feet. He was afraid to look, but did so in spite of himself.

It looked as though the ground was erupting in front of the headstone. El stood a good distance away from it, both arms extended in front of her and blood dripping from her nose. For as much effort as she seemed to be using, there was hardly any noise being made until finally, the heavy casket appeared and landed on the pile of dirt with a dull thud.

El lowered her hands, letting out a heavy sigh in exhaustion. Mike took that as his cue, leaving his spot and gathering her into his arms. She closed her eyes and burrowed her face into his shoulder, wincing seconds later when she saw some blood had gotten onto his shirt.

"Mike! I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he replied adamantly. "You did such a great job."

She smiled weakly at him then turned her attention to Max, who was staring fixedly at the casket. The couple walked toward Max slowly, hands entwined together. Max didn't look up until El gently placed her free hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ready," El asked.

Max nodded quickly. She was ready to get this over with. "I might need some help though, with the lid," she replied, her voice catching on the last word.

"We can help with that," Mike volunteered. "Hey guys," he called gently, "Can a couple of you help me lift this?"

Dustin and Lucas walked over cautiously, leaving Will to be the lookout. This was just as well. Poor Will looked like he was ready to keel over from nerves.

"You guys might want to stand back," Mike said to El and Max. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

The girls nodded and moved back about 10 feet. Max happened to make eye contact with Lucas, who smiled softly at her. A blush rose in her cheeks.

"You guys ready on three," Dustin asked as they gripped the lid. "One, two, three, PUSH UP."

The boys groaned under the weight of the lid. Nothing seemed to be happening at first. Max, El, and Will made eye contact, sharing worried glances. But seconds later, lid started to give. With a final heave, the boys pushed up and the lid swung open. They dropped to the ground in exhaustion, breathing heavily and trying to calm their racing hearts. The three onlookers abandoned their posts and sprinted over.

"Jesus christ, guys, are you okay," Will asked.

"Hell yes. 100%. All in a day's work, William," Dustin boasted lightheartedly, in spite of his being out of breath.

El was on the ground next to Mike, tracing the sharp lines of his face. "Are you alright," she asked quietly. "I'm proud of you."

He smiled, albeit weakly. "Yeah, I'm alright. And are you kidding? I'm proud of YOU."

"Oh El, I'm so proud of you," Lucas teased Mike in a high-pitched voice. "Oh El, you're so beautiful. El! I lo-"

Mike cut off Lucas with an elbow to the stomach. He dropped back to his knees in a wheezing fit, causing Mike, El, and Dustin to laugh.

"Serves you right," Mike retorted.

"That was extremely uncool," Lucas said as he struggled to get up. "I was just joking with you."

"Whatever."

"Nice comeback."

"GUYS," Will interrupted, "Would you shut up for a minute and look?"

He pointed over to where the casket lay open. Max was standing next to it, staring inside intently. They could see that she was crying.

Those who were on the ground got to their feet, and they all tentatively approached. In part, they wanted to be respectful of Max's space. But admittedly, they were also afraid to see what was inside.

El was the first to approach Max.

"Hey," she said softly. "You okay?"

Max sniffled. "I don't know. I'm really confused." She gestured inside the casket. "This is definitely Billy."

El slowly peeked inside at the young man who looked like he could be sleeping, and frowned. "Yeah," she agreed. "That IS him. But I swear it was him that I saw at Will's. I recognized him from your pictures."

"And I HEARD," Max added. "I heard him…and saw him across the street."

They were quiet for a moment, processing.

"But I don't know," she continued. "Maybe I just imagined. Maybe it's someone who looks like him. Maybe I miss him more than I thought."

El wrapped her arms around Max in support as she continued to cry. "You know, I never saw him after he died," Max confessed. "My mom and Neil wanted to keep the casket closed. They thought it would be too upsetting. Well they were wrong, as usual."

She knelt down next to the casket, resting her head against the cool metal. "All I wanted was to see him one last time."

"I understand," El sympathized.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. He was rude, he went from girl to girl, and he spent way too much time on his fucking hair," Max said with a snort. "Look at this shit. Immaculate." She slowly reached out to touch his curly, dirty blond hair, then withdrew her hand in surprise. "Weird," she whispered.

"Um, what's weird," Mike spoke up. Up until then, the boys had been completely quiet.

"His hair doesn't really feel like hair. It's like…plastic – feels like a wig."

"How could that be," Will asked.

"Hell if I know. Maybe a year underground will change things," Max said sardonically. She bent down close again to get a better look and frowned. "Hey, didn't he have his left ear pierced?"

The others looked at each other, dumbfounded.

"I swear to god, he did. His right ear is pierced." Max's voice began to rise. Once again, she reached out to Billy's body. Only this time, she touched his forehead. A shriek left her mouth.

"Max, what is it," Lucas asked.

"This is rubber," she cried. "His skin feels like rubber."

"Are you sure it's not supposed to feel like that," Dustin asked.

Max rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm sure. His face isn't supposed to feel like a god damn tire." Suddenly, a speculative look crossed her face. "Do one of you guys have a knife?"

El's eyes widened. "What do you need a knife for?"

"I'm going to do an autopsy of my own."

A collective groan went up from the group. "Jesus fuck, Max," Mike said, "Don't you think that's going a bit too far?"

"You know what, Wheeler? No, I don't. Something seriously fucked up is going on, and I intend to find out exactly what it is. So once again, do one of you guys have a knife," she finished, practically shouting.

There was silence for a moment before Lucas cleared his throat. "Yeah," he said hurriedly, his voice a little higher than normal. He dug through his backpack for a minute before finding it. "It's a switchblade. You just-"

"I KNOW how to use a switchblade, Lucas, thanks," Max cut him off, grabbing the knife from his hand.

Stalking over to the open casket, she unbuttoned the top few buttons of Billy's shirt and flipped open the blade of the knife. The other kids looked on in horror as she pierced his chest with it. Keeping the blade in, Max pushed it to one side of the cut so she could peer in.

Dustin sat on the ground and put his head between his legs. "I think I'm gonna be sick," he mumbled.

Lucas chuckled. "At least it's not piss this time."

A scream interrupted them, and they turned to see Max holding something else in her hand.

"Cotton," she wailed. "Fucking cotton in his chest."

"Why would they stuff his corpse with cotton," Will asked in disbelief.

"Because it's not a real corpse," Mike said, the realization dawning on him. "It's a fake. There's no way a dead body would get stuffed with cotton."

There was silence for a moment before each teen began speaking at the same time.

"_That is massively fucked up."_

"_Who would do such a thing?"_

"_No way am I touching that knife again."_

"_Oh my god."_

"_What do we do?"_

"_I have so many questions."_

"GUYS," Max yelled, "Shut the fuck up for a second. You know what this means?"

"You guys wasted thousands of dollars on a funeral," Dustin muttered ruefully.

"Not what I was going to say, Dustin," Max said with an eye roll. "No…this means Billy's alive. The Billy that's been doing the kidnappings – that's really him. But it also means he's been alive this whole time. Where's he been? How did he get like that? And who made a fake corpse of him?"

"All really good questions, Max," El spoke up. "But I think we should go back to my house. It's not safe out here right now."

Will nodded. "El's right. We really should be getting back. We need to clean up first, though."

"Yeah, how do you make a gravesite NOT look like it's just been dug up," Lucas asked.

"I can do it," El volunteered. "I dug it up, so I'll put it back the way it was."

She saw Mike begin to open his mouth, presumably to ask if she was sure. This seemed to be a recurring theme for him. El was grateful Mike was concerned about her, but she could also handle herself.

"It's fine, I promise," she said with a pointed glance. "Maybe you guys can close the lid, though?"

Mike nodded eagerly. "We can do that."

The boys walked back over to the casket and were prepared to shut the lid when they heard a car loudly approaching the cemetery. The headlights bounced across their faces.

"Holy shit," Dustin cried. "HIDE!"

Mike grabbed El's hand and they ducked behind one of the larger memorials. Max hid behind a gravestone that was right next to them. Lucas, Will, and Dustin hid behind the still-open casket.

Their hearts were beating wildly as they heard the engine stop and a car door slam. El's grip on Mike's hand tightened at the sound. She looked over at Max, and began crying quietly at the sight of Max's forlorn face. It had been quite a day for all of them, but probably more for Max than anyone else. After all, she'd lost and found her stepbrother multiple times during the day.

A sudden snap of a nearby branch made El look to the right, and she found herself shielding her eyes at the beam of a flashlight in her face.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

* * *

**Hello, everyone! How did you like the chapter? Please leave me a review. I felt it better to be safe than sorry to put the warning at the beginning. I know I was a bit squeamish during season one when Hopper discovered the fake corpse in the morgue – I thought others might be as well. As for the title of the chapter? I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it. It's a bit of tongue-in-cheek morbidity for you. Thanks again to the music of Bryan Adams for inspiring me and helping me write.**

**I hope you all are doing well and continuing to stay safe. This has been a weird and sad few months, and that doesn't seem to be changing as new things transpire. I continue to hope for the best, and that we can all begin to heal and return to society even better than ever. Blessings and peace to you all.**


	15. Ch 14: I Thought I'd Seen Everything

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 14: I Thought I'd Seen Everything**

_Their hearts were beating wildly as they heard the engine stop and a car door slam. El's grip on Mike's hand tightened at the sound. She looked over at Max, and began crying quietly at the sight of Max's forlorn face. It had been quite a day for all of them, but probably more for Max than anyone else. After all, she'd lost and found her stepbrother multiple times during the day._

_A sudden snap of a nearby branch made El look to the right, and she found herself shielding her eyes at the beam of a flashlight in her face._

"_WHAT THE HELL?"_

"Hopp," El gasped in shock. "What are you doing here?"

He lowered the flashlight. Even in the darkness, she could see the angry redness of his face. "What am I doing here? What the hell are YOU doing here? After I told you not to go anywhere. I've been looking everywhere for you."

"This isn't her fault," Mike interrupted hotly. "Our friends were in trouble and we needed to help. Will almost got kidnapped today."

"Yeah," Max continued. "And we're 100% sure who's behind all this."

Hopper raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Oh really? And who would that be?"

She looked down, the shock of the day's events clearly still evident on her face. "My brother," she replied quietly.

"That is not funny," Hopper said after a moment. "Why the hell would you joke about a thing like that?"

"I'm not joking, Hopp." Max pointed at the open casket behind them. "Look."

He followed Max's finger and his eyes widened. "Jesus fuck. What did you do?" He strode over to the open casket and continued to gape at the sight around him. "You have 30 seconds to tell me what happened here," he thundered.

The kids looked at each other for a moment, then began speaking in rapid fire succession.

"First, I saw Billy outside my house this morning. But he disappeared…"

"Then I checked on Mike's friends in the void, and I saw Billy go after Will…"

"Then El and Max totally saved our asses from Billy and some other creepy dudes outside Lucas' house…"

"Then we came here to find out if the person we'd been seeing all day was actually Billy."

Hopper blinked slowly as he processed what they'd said in the silence that followed. He looked at El this time. "Did you use your powers?"

El felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Yes," she whispered.

"So you used your powers in public where someone could see you," he asked, his voice deadly quiet.

El looked nervously at her friends, who exchanged equally worried glances with her. The silence was all the confirmation Hopper needed. He let out a loud sigh.

"Listen, the only reason I'm not out here totally losing my shit is because we've got a dead body laying right over there."

"But that's just it," Max interrupted earnestly. "Billy's not dead."

She grabbed Hopper's hand and pulled him over to the casket. His eyes immediately fell upon the gash in the dummy's chest.

Hopper opened his mouth to talk, but Max beat him to it.

"Cotton," she said, pointing to one of the tufts sticking out of the dummy. "It's stuffed with cotton. And Billy has his OTHER ear pierced…not that one. Plus, feel the skin."

"Excuse me," Hopper asked incredulously.

"Feel it, Hopp," she demanded.

He glared at her. "Jesus christ, fine." He gingerly reached out to touch the forehead and then quickly withdrew his hand. "What the fuck?"

"Exactly," Max replied. "Thank you. See? Fake corpse."

She began muttering and swearing under her breath, but Hopper was paying no attention. His focus had shifted towards another part of the cemetery, his eyes growing heavy with grief. El noticed, and once she saw where he was looking, she understood.

S_ara._

The kids were silent as they watched Hopper slowly walk towards the other grave. They followed at a respectful distance and stood behind him, save for El who walked forward and held his hand as they stopped.

The grave had a pair of ballet shoes etched on the front, next to the words:

_Sara Hopper_

_1971-1978_

"_It's not what the world holds for you. It's what you bring to it."_

Hopper let out a loud sniffle. "She brought a lot to this world," he said in a gravelly voice. "So much. I don't know. Maybe it was too much, and that's why the big man needed her upstairs. Maybe they needed her to be an angel to all of us."

He squeezed El's hand and looked down at her. "I wish you could have known Sara. In some ways, you remind me of her. She was a spunky little thing, and so are you."

El smiled softly up at Hopper as he looked back at the grave stone. "Sara sweetie, I'm sorry I haven't been around as much as I should be. All these years later, it still hurts. I still miss you so much, and I don't think that will ever go away. But I'll come around more. I promise."

They stood quietly for a few more minutes as Hopper gathered his bearings. The kids were well aware of what had happened to Sara, and they felt very sorry for it. If she'd still been alive, she would have been the same age as them. Maybe she would have even been a friend of theirs.

The group began walking back in the direction they came from, when Hopper abruptly stopped.

"Holy shit," he exclaimed loudly. "I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier."

"Um, chief…Mr. Hopper, sir," Dustin stuttered. "With all do respect, it's probably not a good idea to just stop suddenly in the middle of a cemetery. It might freak people out."

"Right now, kid, I really don't care," he shot back. "Now can it."

Dustin saluted. "Yes, sir. Sorry for interrupting, sir."

Hopper rolled his eyes. "Now as I was about to say, I had a thought." He paused. "I think Sara and Billy are somehow connected."

"What do you mean? Like she might be alive, too," Mike asked.

"No. I mean, don't you think it's weird that there's crazy shit surrounding both of them? My daughter gets poisoned and it gets covered up…Billy supposedly drowns, but that body is fake."

"What happened that day anyway? The day that you found Billy in the pool," asked Max. "I always wanted to know, but mom and Neil wouldn't give me any details."

The look that crossed Hopper's face could only be described as an 'a-ha' moment. It was as if something suddenly fell into place.

"Oh my god. Oh my FUCKING god," he erupted.

"Dad, what is it? What's wrong," El asked. She was extremely worried. A quick glance at the others showed that they looked to be the same way.

Hopper opened his mouth to speak, but he abruptly looked around, giving the area a once-over before speaking quietly.

"We need to get back home where it's safe. I don't want to say what I need to say out in the open…not when somebody could be listening. Got it?"

They all nodded in unison.

"Good. Now, I want you to clean up that gravesite and put it back to the way it was when you got here. Please try and be as quiet as possible – no dicking around and no stupid shit."

"Pretty sure he's talking to you, Dustin," Lucas cracked, which resulted in a middle finger from Dustin.

"Hey! What did I just say," Hopper asked in exasperation, "No stupid shit from any of you. Clean it up now. Then when you're done, we're all going to follow each other back to my cabin. We can talk more there."

The kids scattered quickly as they got to work. Hopper kept an eye on the cemetery gates as the four boys got the casket lid closed. It went a bit more smoothly this time with the addition of Will. Then it was El's turn. Like before, she extended both arms in front of her, lowered the casket back in the ground, and piled the dirt on top. The six kids stomped on the dirt to try and even it out, then they stepped back to appraise their work. Exhaustion was written on their faces.

Billy's gravesite didn't look great, but it wasn't bad. It would have to do for now, though.

They walked as quickly as they could toward the cemetery gates and walked through. Unfortunately, closing the gate was just as noisy as opening it. They paused after the gate made its high-pitched squeaking noise again, just to make sure they didn't attract any attention.

"Okay, guys. I'll drive in front and you follow. Ready to go, El," Hopper asked expectantly.

El frowned. "No, I want to ride with Mike."

"El, come on. Don't be difficult. Mike and the others will follow us back."

"No. I rode here with him and I'll ride back with him."

Hopper groaned and wiped his face with his hand. "Kid, I am not going to do this in a cemetery. Would you please just get in the car?"

El promptly ran and hid behind Mike, wrapping her arms around his middle. For his part, Mike looked to be a strange combination of both pleased and fearful, settling on fearful when he looked at Hopper's face.

Hopper stared him down for a few seconds. He wasn't happy, but trying to disagree with a telekinetic teenager where her boyfriend was concerned was a bad idea.

"Whatever, kid. Just be safe," he conceded with an eye roll, opening the driver's side door. "Stay close behind me, everyone, okay?"

The ride back felt a lot quicker than it had going to the cemetery. The kids partially felt safer because they had the chief of police with them, and partially because they were in a fog after their weird night. Soon enough, they found themselves back among the trees and parking their bikes outside the small cabin.

"Everyone, get in here quickly," Hopper said, ushering the kids inside. After they all got through the door, he went straight to the fridge for a beer.

The kids sat in the living room and eyed Hopper expectantly. After all, he'd left them hanging.

"So," Max asked after a moment, "What happened that day?"

Hopper sighed and popped the tab on his beer can, taking a big gulp before speaking.

"Well here's the thing, I didn't find Billy that morning. The station got a call from the manager of the pool, saying she'd found the body. Flo radioed me to get down there, then a few minutes later, she radioed me again to tell me there was no need."

Max frowned in confusion. "Why would she tell you that?"

"State police had heard her radio me, and there happened to be a police cruiser closer to the pool than I was. They went ahead and took care of everything – the investigation, the autopsy…everything. They insisted this was a closed case, and there was no need to follow up." Hopper closed his eyes and rested his forehead in his palm. "I can't believe I just let it go. You should always double check. But I trusted them. You're supposed to trust them."

"Wait a second," Mike began, trying to make sense of everything, "You said you thought Billy and Sara were connected somehow. I didn't think the state police had anything to do with Sara's death."

"They didn't, but they're connected to the lab. The lab is – as we know – oh so wonderful at covering things up," Hopper explained bitterly.

"So…you think the police – well, the lab – covered up Billy's death, too," Will asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah, kid. I really do."

"Well, I don't know how they would have had anything to do with Billy's death, but we need to stop them," Max said matter-of-factly. "We need to stop them so they never do anything like that again."

"How do we do that, though," Lucas asked in confusion. "We're talking about some serious shit here. This is the government. If we were to take down the lab, where would we start? Would we sneak in and try to find evidence?"

"And how would we even know WHERE to get in," Dustin added.

They kids were silent, but one by one, they turned and looked at El. She glanced around nervously and shook her head.

"No, I don't want to go there. It's not safe."

"I agree," Hopper interrupted firmly. "El ran away from there for good reason and I will not have her put into harm's way like that."

"But what about Billy," Mike asked.

"What ABOUT Billy," Hopper countered.

"He's still out there. He's still alive. But why is he kidnapping people? Why does he look different? And how is he getting other people to follow his lead?"

Hopper held his hands out in front of himself. "Jesus kid, one thing at a time. On all counts, I have no idea. But I can tell you that we're not going to figure all that out at," he paused to look at his watch, "Holy shit, 10:30. I think it's probably time for bed. We can talk more in the morning."

"Okay. Should we reconvene then," Dustin asked. "I can probably get here around 10."

"Yeah, chief. Just say the word and we'll be here," Lucas added.

Hopper looked at their faces and just knew that he couldn't in good conscience leave them to bike home alone late at night. Even if someone wasn't out terrorizing Hawkins, he wouldn't feel right about it.

"Listen, guys," he began with a sigh, "I think it would probably be best if you all stayed here tonight. It's late, and I would hate it if something happened to you."

El's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really," she asked. Her and Mike shared an excited glance.

Hopper raised his eyebrows at them. "Yes, really. HOWEVER, there will be some ground rules. No loud noises late into the night, clothes will stay on the entire time, and of course," he said, looking pointedly at El and Mike, "No boys in El's room. Max will stay in there, and you 4 will stay in the living room. I've got pillows and blankets for you."

He paused for a moment, then continued. "Oh, and you might want to give your parents a call and let them know you're okay and staying at a friend's house tonight. The news has started to get out that I've adopted someone. I did let Mike and Max's parents know they were here earlier helping me get my new daughter settled. Just…please be careful what you say."

As he went to his room to get the extra pillows and blankets, Mike wandered over to El and wrapped his arms around her, his face in a pout.

"I wish we could sleep together." However, at the sound of their friends' snickering, he realized his wording. "Shit, I meant JUST sleep. I just want to sleep, that's all."

El was confused. She didn't know what else Mike could have meant.

"I know," she said, frowning. "I wish that, too."

As the boys lined up to call their parents, Max hung back with El on the sofa. It had a been a long and stressful day, as evidenced by El resting her head on Max's shoulder. But it wasn't over by a longshot, not if Max went ahead with the plan that was forming in her head.

She smiled slyly. El was going to be a very happy girl.

After several minutes, it was Max's turn to make her phone call. Mike wandered over to take the spot next to El precisely as Hopper emerged from his room with pillows and blankets, shooting the couple an annoyed glance.

Hopper may have gotten between them for the night, but that didn't mean he was going to intimidate Mike away from El's side before bed.

A tired El put her head down on his shoulder. Mike wrapped his arm around her and gave her a light kiss on her head, savoring the time he had with her. He tried to justify with himself that sleeping apart but in the same house was better than sleeping at separate houses.

"Well, that about does it," Hopper announced. He fluffed the last pillow and tossed it over to where Mike and El sat on the sofa. "Time for bed, kids."

"Aw, man," Dustin whined. "But it's so early. It's summer, chief. Live a little."

"Thanks, kid. I'll try," Hopper responded sarcastically. "But until we figure out what the hell is going on, I've got to get to work early tomorrow. And you've all had a long day, too."

The kids didn't fight it. Much as they'd try to insist otherwise, they were exhausted. They exchanged hugs and well wishes for a good night's sleep. Mike and El took as much time as they could to make the most of their goodnights, with Mike even walking El to her bedroom door.

"I hope you sleep good…girlfriend," Mike said with a sweet smile, nudging El's shoulder with his own.

She grinned widely. "You too…boyfriend. I'm so tired."

Mike nodded in understanding. "It was a crazy day. But I'm happy we were at least together for it."

El agreed. She couldn't imagine spending any time apart from him.

He reached down and pulled her into a tight hug. "'Night, El."

"'Night, Mike," she replied, burying her face in his chest. As she slowly pulled away, El could tell Hopper was watching them from his bedroom doorway. Not caring that he was just ten feet away, El leaned back in and gave Mike a quick kiss on the lips, grinning at the dopey smile that appeared on his face.

"Goodnight," she whispered again, swiftly turning and opening her bedroom door. Max followed her into the room, and the door shut behind them.

Mike was left in a contented yet exhausted daze, only snapping out of it when Will clapped him on the shoulder.

"You want to grab a pillow and a blanket?"

"Yeah, I guess," he replied, letting out a long breath.

Unfortunately, it looked like Dustin had claimed the sofa, as evidenced by the fact that he was attempting to take up every single inch of it. Mike shot him a glare and a middle finger, which Dustin answered by childishly sticking his tongue out at him. And as he settled on the floor with his blanket and pillow, Mike couldn't help but wish he had a much more comfortable place to sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile in El's room, Max breathlessly sat on the bed. "Holy shit, what a day," she said. El flopped down face-first next to her and groaned in response.

Max chuckled. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing. Just tired."

"Me too. But, um, I have an idea," Max said quietly, scooting closer to El. "We need to wait until Hopper falls asleep. It'll be totally easy to tell because that man sounds like a chainsaw."

"Why do we need to wait for him to fall asleep?"

Max cocked an eyebrow at El. "To sneak Mike in here. I'm sure you'd rather have him in your bed for the night than me."

El spluttered, gaping a little like a fish. "But you're my best friend," she finally settled on.

"Oh, come on," Max laughed. "It's no use pretending. You want him in here, right?"

"Yeah," El replied sheepishly.

"Okay, then. So we wait until Hopper falls asleep, then I go out there and trade places with Mike. Of course, he and I will have to switch again before Hopper wakes up. But pretty simple, right?"

It did sound pretty simple to El, and she nodded eagerly in agreement.

Max smirked. "Alright. Well until then, let's get comfy, shall we?" She scooted next to El and picked up a stray magazine. They thumbed through it lazily, occasionally pointing out a cool article or a cute celebrity. But they didn't have to wait long. About ten minutes later, they heard it.

"What's that I hear," Max asked, cupping her hand to the wall. "El Hopper, I do believe that's a chainsaw."

El giggled, her heart rate picking up as she knew it was almost time. Max tiptoed to the bedroom door and opened it quietly, putting her pointer finger up to her mouth to shush El.

As she disappeared through the bedroom door, El stood up from the bed, too jittery to stay seated. She heard voices talking quietly in the living room. This went on for a couple of minutes, and she thought maybe something had gone wrong – that Mike didn't want to come in. But suddenly, she saw the doorknob turn.

And there he was.

* * *

**Happy 4****th**** of July to my readers in the USA! Happy one-year anniversary of ST3 to my readers around the world! It makes me miss these characters so much. But, good news. I've heard that production on season 4 is supposed to tentatively start in September. Let's hope it goes without a hitch.**

**I hope you're liking the story. Obviously next chapter is what happens after the bedroom door opens. It was such a stressful day for these cuties, and I thought I'd give them a little alone time together! Anyway, hopefully you're all doing well. Please leave a review.**


	16. Ch 15: The Only Thing That Looks Good

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story**

**As a heads up, this chapter has a lime in it. If that's not your thing, then please skip it.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You**

_As she disappeared through the bedroom door, El stood up from the bed, too jittery to stay seated. She heard voices talking quietly in the living room. This went on for a couple of minutes, and she thought maybe something had gone wrong – that Mike didn't want to come in. But suddenly, she saw the doorknob turn. _

_And there he was._

Mike and El stared at each other for a moment before Mike remembered that he needed to shut the door, and he quickly did so with an embarrassed chuckle.

"Sorry about that," he said quietly.

El crossed the room, the grin on her face a mile wide. As she stopped in front of Mike, she reached out and twined his hand with hers. "I thought maybe you weren't coming in. I'm glad you did though."

"What made you think I wouldn't come see you? I love spending time with you."

"It was taking too long," she replied with a pout. "I heard voices, and I thought maybe you were telling Max that you didn't want to."

Mike shook his head. "No way. We were just talking about when we'd need to switch back. I know your dad probably gets up early, so I think," he trailed off, fiddling with his watch, "4:30 AM would be safe." A beep sounded as the alarm set, and he smiled triumphantly. "There. All set."

They let their connected hands swing gently between them, a comfortable silence falling. After a moment, Mike got a teasing grin on his face. "So I was taking too long, huh?"

El blushed, but very openly replied, "Yes."

"Well, I'm here now. What do you want to do?"

She thought back to that morning – which seemed like a lifetime ago at this point – and her and Mike's makeout session on the sofa. She thought about their discussion that followed, the one about being ready.

El led Mike over to the bed and they both sat down. She was suddenly bashful, biting down on her bottom lip with her teeth.

"Hey," Mike said gently, brushing his fingers across her cheek, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just," she scooted closer to him, and began again. "Do you remember what we talked about earlier today? About…sex? I'm not ready for _everything_. But I think I might be ready for something a little more. I guess I'm just kind of nervous."

Mike's face reddened as the weight of her words settled in the air. But he wanted to reassure her, and hopefully get her over those nerves.

"Remember, you're the leader on this, El," he said. "I refuse to do anything if you don't feel comfortable with it. Understand?"

"Yes," she replied with a smile and nod.

"Good."

Mike wanted to lighten the mood a little. In classic Mike fashion, he crossed his eyes and stuck his two front teeth out, giving him a rabbit-like appearance. El began laughing hysterically, though she took care not to be too loud. The last thing she wanted was for Hopper to wake up.

"What is that supposed to be," she choked out.

"A rabbit, obviously," Mike said, laughing along with her.

He was such a goofball, but he was _her _goofball.

El's laughs hadn't died down yet, but that didn't stop her from grabbing Mike's face in her hands and kissing him. He eagerly responded as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, and El began leaning backwards on the bed to bring him on top of her. Mike expected it this time – no more falling awkwardly between her legs.

He softly began sucking on her bottom lip. El gasped and attacked his lips with renewed fervor. She opened her mouth wider, wanting his tongue. Mike could never deny her, and he eagerly met her tongue with his.

They continued this way for several minutes. Once again, El began to feel what she knew now to be desire between her legs. She instinctively tilted her hips up to try and get some relief. Mike could feel what she was trying to do, and let out a moan in spite of himself. He didn't want to make any assumptions though.

Reluctantly breaking their kiss, Mike whispered, "El, you need to tell me what you want." Admittedly, he was afraid that if he spoke louder, his voice would start shaking.

In addition to trying to get her breathing back on track, El was also trying to think back to her conversation with Max earlier. Max had mentioned touching herself, but El wasn't ready for Mike to do that yet…at least not below the waist.

She bit her bottom lip bashfully, and decided to just go for it. "Maybe you could touch me up here," she said, putting her hand on her chest.

Mike took a moment to take it all in. He looked down at El – her hair fanned out on the pillow like a halo and her cheeks flushed pink – and thought he'd never seen anyone more beautiful.

"Okay," he whispered.

He leaned down slowly and captured El's lips in a sweet kiss before peppering kisses along her jaw. Mike couldn't resist the opportunity he had next – the chance to blow a raspberry on her neck.

El gasped, but giggled in spite of herself. "MIKE," she whisper-yelled, "Don't wake up Hopper."

Mike laughed softly. "Sorry. I got carried away."

They listened for a moment to make sure that Hopper's snores didn't stop. When they were sure that he wasn't going to come storming into her room, Mike and El resumed kissing.

As her fingers crept into his thick, wavy hair, Mike's hand began inching down towards the bottom hem of El's shirt. There was a sliver of skin peeking out between the top of her shorts and where her shirt began. He gently stroked the skin there for a moment with his thumb – marveling at how soft it was – before moving his hand upwards under her shirt.

"Is this okay," he asked quietly.

El nodded. "Yes," she replied. "Keep going."

"Are you sure, because I can always-" Mike trailed off as El sat up and promptly took her shirt off, flinging it to the floor.

"Mike, stop talking," she said boldly. "Touch me."

"Oh fuck," he muttered under his breath. El was wearing a simple white bra with a tiny bow between each bra cup. _Like a present_, Mike thought to himself. He slowly leaned down and began leaving lingering kisses everywhere across her chest.

El let out a shuddering breath. She hadn't expected to feel quite so on fire, and she wanted more. As Mike continued with his kisses, she struggled to free herself from the confines of her bra. It was difficult, since she was both in a hurry to get the bra off but also was trying to kiss Mike every place she could reach.

Thankfully, El finally got her bra unhooked. Together, she and Mike pulled the straps down her arms, leaving her completely exposed to Mike.

He was stunned. She was so incredibly beautiful, not that he was surprised – every part of her was beautiful. Her breasts were small but round, with dusky pink nipples. The color reminded him of a flower in his mother's garden, though he didn't know the name.

Crap. Now, every time he looked at those flowers in the garden, he'd get hard.

El was beginning to feel a bit self-conscious under Mike's gaze, and her face started to heat up. He wouldn't stop staring at her breasts. "Mike," she asked, "Is everything okay?"

He shook his head as though to snap himself out of it. "Yes, sorry. It's just…you're so beautiful. I can't believe you're mine."

"I'm yours," she replied softly with a nod. In another bold move, El took one of Mike's hands and placed it directly on one of her breasts.

Mike felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. He wanted so badly just to ravish El – whatever that meant, he didn't even really know – but was also keeping her at the forefront of his mind. He didn't want to push too hard and scare her off.

He gave a gentle squeeze of her breast, making her let out a soft sigh. "Keep going," she whispered.

Mike leaned down and began to kiss her neck, simultaneously continuing to squeeze. El closed her eyes and just _felt_. There was so much going on, she almost felt overloaded. But there was no way in hell she wanted him to stop.

El buried her hands in his hair and guided his face up so that she could kiss him. It was all tongues and teeth for a few minutes as they lost themselves in each other. And still, El wanted more. She wanted to feel his skin on hers.

Mike felt El begin to tug at the bottom of his shirt. He knew what she was after, but was a little embarrassed at the thought of her seeing him without a shirt. In his opinion, he was a string bean. But who was he to deny her? He pulled back a bit so he could get his shirt off, the shirt joining El's on the ground a moment later.

El's eyes widened in awe as she looked at Mike. He was absolutely beautiful with his pale skin and dark hair all disheveled from his shirt coming off. She ran her hands over the smooth skin of his abdomen, and smiled when she saw a light smattering of freckles across his chest. She began tracing a path from one freckle to the next, pausing when Mike began to chuckle.

"Hey, that tickles," he said, a smile on his face. "What are you doing?"

"Freckles," she replied. "Like stars."

Of course, he remembered that was what she said about the freckles on his face the night they met – right after he had rescued her and was helping her clean up in the bathroom.

The smile on his face widened. "Hey El, do you remember-"

"Benny's," she said simply. "Of course I do." Bringing a hand up, she traced the freckles across his nose and cheeks. "Like stars," she repeated.

It had only been about a week, but Mike could already feel himself falling hard for this girl. There was no one else like her.

He leaned down and kissed her hard, his lips stifling the gasp that threatened to escape her. It was an amazing feeling – her breasts pressed against his bare chest – and she involuntarily bucked her hips up again. It just so happened that the seam of her shorts was lined up directly with her clit. When their hips connected, El's eyes widened and her mouth popped open in surprise.

"Mike," she breathed out. "Oh my god."

Mike was embarrassed. That time, he definitely couldn't hide his arousal. She was probably disgusted by what she felt.

"I'm sorry, El," he said. "Do you want to stop?"

"Are you kidding? It feels amazing."

_Oh. Well, then…_

Mike experimentally thrust forward again, causing them both to let out a moan. They paused for a moment just to make sure Hopper was still snoring away.

"Mike, it feels so good," El whined. "I don't want Hopper to hear us, though."

He took a deep breath to try and quell his trembling. "I know. I'll be as quiet as I can, I promise."

El nodded. "I promise, too."

There was a brief pause, after which their desperation returned. El threaded her fingers through Mike's hair as they kissed hungrily. They began to rock their hips together again, their kisses masking the quiet moans coming out of their mouths.

After a few moments, Mike began trailing a hand back down to El's breasts. He lightly brushed one of her nipples, causing her to squirm even more.

"Mike, harder," she whispered.

Wordlessly, he started to pinch and roll her nipple with his fingers. It took everything in El's willpower to not squeal out loudly. She turned her face to the side and buried her face in the pillow, letting out a shriek into it.

"El, are you okay," Mike asked. With her face partially hidden, he couldn't tell if it was a good shriek or a bad one.

She nodded, not even trusting herself to speak, but instead choosing to buck her hips up even harder.

"Holy shit," he muttered, completely overtaken by the sensation.

El was right there with him. She wasn't really sure what was happening. All she knew was that it felt like the warmth in her lower abdomen was slowly spreading outward until _BANG, _it exploded. Her body went rigid and her mouth opened in a silent scream. She clung to Mike tightly as he thrust twice more before letting out a soft groan and burying his face in her neck.

They lay still for several moments before Mike slowly picked his head up to look at El. He was rewarded with the sight of an absolutely radiant smile on her face.

"Mike," she whispered euphorically, "What was that?"

His cheeks reddened, which was ridiculous considering what they'd been doing just moments ago.

"Well…do you remember what we talked about earlier? About how some things can feel as good as having sex?"

"Yes."

"Okay well, I'm pretty sure you had an orgasm."

El processed this for a moment. It didn't take her long to come to the conclusion that she wanted to feel like that again as many times as she could. Even if she wasn't hanging out with Mike on a given day, she wanted to see if she could achieve the same result on her own.

She curled a leg around his waist and snuggled close, breathing in his clean scent. "Did you have one," she asked.

Mike bashfully ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah," he admitted. "Though now that you mention it, I should probably clean up. Sticky shorts in the middle of the night is gross."

El giggled, causing Mike to look at her in surprise. "Are you laughing at my sticky situation, El Hopper?"

She shrugged. "Maybe," she said playfully.

"You're lucky your dad is asleep," he replied with a pointed glance. "I'd tickle the shit out of you."

El remembered when he'd tickled her earlier. It was probably for the best that he not do it in the middle of the night, as her screams and laughs were loud enough to wake the dead.

With a playful nip of her nose and a quick kiss, Mike rolled off her and grabbed several tissues from the box on the dresser. While he cleaned up, El grabbed her shirt off the floor and slipped it over her head. She unbuttoned her shorts and tossed them on the floor to join her bra, which left her in her t-shirt and underwear. In a similar fashion, once Mike finished, he put his shirt back on but kept his shorts off.

"All set," El asked. She held the blankets open as an invitation for him to join her.

Mike was suddenly very tired, the events of the day catching up to him. He nodded wordlessly and climbed in next to her. They curled into each other like they'd been doing it for years – El with her head on his chest and a leg between his, and Mike on his back with his arms around her.

El liked this position because she could listen to his heart. She was quiet as she counted the beats and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"You okay, El," Mike asked softly.

"Yes. Your heart."

He smiled. "What about it?"

"I like listening to it. It's relaxing," she said with a yawn. She was a lot sleepier than she thought. "Mike?"

"Yes, El?"

"I'm happy I met you."

"I'm happy I met you, too," he replied, suddenly nostalgic. "That was such a crazy night. It was supposed to be our first real show. One of these days, we've got to play for you and Max. But anyway, I remember seeing you for the first time…and that was it. I thought you were so pretty. You had that shirt on with the blue splotches all over it that kind of looks like stars. I was actually going to ask you to go stargazing with me afterwards, but then fucking Dustin and his timing."

Mike paused for a moment and looked down, seeing El fast asleep on his chest. He smiled to himself, leaned down, and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight, El," he whispered.

Settling back onto the pillow, Mike mulled over three other little words that he wanted to tell her. Not tonight, but sometime soon. He'd know when the time was right.

With that in mind, Mike fell asleep with a contented smile on his face.

* * *

**So friends, how are we feeling? I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and are continuing to do alright in this weird world we're living in. I've been watching "The Great British Bake-Off" on Netflix. It's such a cozy show, and I've gotten lots of ideas on things to make. I enjoy cooking, but haven't experimented much with baking. A new hobby to add to the list, perhaps.**

**Please leave me a review. I always love to hear what you think. Take care!**


	17. Chapter 16: All or Nothing

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: All or Nothing**

Unfortunately, 4:30AM came too soon for El and Mike's liking.

The tinny beeping of Mike's alarm awoke them both with a start, and Mike quickly scrambled to shut it off before it woke anyone else up. The arm that was curled around El had fallen asleep. As gently as he could, he pulled his arm out from under her, eliciting a muffled groan from her.

"El, I have to get up," Mike whispered.

"Noooo," she whined quietly, curling her arms tighter around him. "Stay."

He smiled. "You know I wish I could. But I also don't want your dad to kill me if he finds me here in the morning."

"That's silly," El replied. "He won't kill you."

"No, realistically he probably wouldn't. But he'd be really mad, and that's a problem because I want him to like me."

"He DOES like you, Mike. I can tell."

He certainly hoped that was true.

"Regardless, this is his house – his rules." He tilted her face up to look at her. "We'll see each other in a few hours…okay?"

El sighed sleepily. "Fine."

Mike leaned down and kissed her lips softly, letting out a soft groan as he felt El pull him closer. As she curled a leg around his hip, she also began sucking on his bottom lip. He surrendered for a moment, letting his tongue sweep inside her mouth and relishing in the small gasp he heard her make.

"El," he whispered between kisses, "You don't fight fair."

She giggled. "Does this mean you'll stay?"

Mike whined and hung his head down. Boy did he ever want to, but as to whether or not he _should_?

"I just can't, El. I'm sorry."

He disentangled himself from El's leg then quietly got up off the bed. After he put his pants on, he turned around and had to stifle a laugh. Yes, El looked beautiful with her mussed hair, pink cheeks, and sleepy eyes. But she was also sticking her bottom lip out as far as it could go.

"That's not going to work, you know," Mike said, playfully wagging his finger.

"Really? I hoped it would," she replied glumly.

He couldn't resist the opportunity to kiss her one more time. Stepping back towards the bed, Mike cupped El's cheek and planted a quick kiss on her lips.

"I'll see you in a little while," he whispered.

"Okay."

As Mike quietly crept through the bedroom door, El leaned back on her pillow and let out a long breath. Her feelings for Mike were so intense. She couldn't get enough of him and wanted to be with him always. He was so good-looking, so funny and smart, a talented musician…the list went on. But what El appreciated most about Mike was that he was kind. He didn't treat her like a freak because she came from a lab. He didn't try to exploit her powers – if anything, he didn't want her to use them because he didn't want her energy to be depleted.

"Hey, space cadet. What's got you thinking so hard?"

Max's sleepy voice startled El out of her inner thoughts, causing her hand to fly to her chest with a start.

"Geez…you scared me, Max."

Max chuckled as she shut the door. "Didn't think I was that scary, but okay." A sly grin appeared on her face as she approached El and climbed into bed next to her. "Might you have been thinking about a certain tall, floppy haired nerd?"

A telltale blush covered El's cheeks, causing Max to nod knowingly.

"I knew it. So, I take it your night went well?"

That was an understatement.

"Yes," El replied enthusiastically.

"Good, I'm glad. That makes two of you." Max yawned and fluffed the pillow before flopping her head down onto it. "That living room floor is not super comfortable for a full night's sleep. We need to convince Hopper to invest in some sleeping bags. Plus, those boys spent way too long talking about random shit."

El's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh no. Do you think they heard?"

Max raised an eyebrow. "Heard what?" A moment later, realization dawned on her face. "Ohhhh, _heard_," she said with a cackle. "And just what exactly were you and Mike doing in here?"

At that moment, however, the even snoring that was coming from the other side of the wall faltered. El quickly raised a finger to her mouth to shush Max, and they both were motionless for several minutes. Thankfully, the snores began again after that time. The girls blew out a breath they didn't realize they were holding.

"Jesus, that was close," Max said with relief. "That's probably our sign to go to sleep. But don't think you're going to get away with not telling me anything. I want details later!"

El shyly nodded, scooting down so she could get under the covers. Max was probably going to get as much as she could out of her come morning. But right now, it was just between El and Mike. She smiled cheekily as she remembered how sweet he had been and how he'd made her feel…there was nothing like it. Everything they'd done felt right to her. She had no regrets.

* * *

El was having the best dream. Mike was lying next to her and gently stroking her hair. He began to lay soft kisses on her forehead, down her cheek, and across her nose. She shrank back slightly at the sensation, as it tickled. But she eagerly began to reciprocate as Mike's lips finally touched hers.

"El? El?"

At this, her eyes snapped open. Mike's face was hovering just inches from hers. _It wasn't a dream after all_, she thought to herself.

"Mike," she whispered, and reached up to pull his face back down.

He let himself be drawn back in for another moment, relishing in her kisses. It was only when she began to open her mouth wider and slip him her tongue that he had to pull back.

"Why," El whined.

He let out a sigh. "I want to, believe me. But it's a miracle that your dad even allowed me in to wake you up. I just don't want either of us to get in trouble."

"Fine," she replied with an eye roll.

Mike couldn't resist. He cupped her cheek and leaned down, kissing her with all the intensity he had. El let out a surprised gasp. But just as she began to reciprocate, Mike pulled back again.

"Come on, breakfast is ready and everyone's up," he said cheerily.

As Mike began to walk towards the doorway, he was suddenly struck in the back of the head with a pillow. He turned around slowly, his mouth open in shock.

"Did you seriously just throw that at me?"

El's very mature response was to stick her tongue out and blow a raspberry at him.

"Okay, which of you just farted," they heard Dustin ask from outside the room.

"Mike did," shouted El, who looked right at Mike and winked. The group in the living room roared with laughter.

"Hey! I did not," he shouted back. Pointing a finger at El, he said, "You'd better watch yourself, El Hopper. You might be the one blamed for a fake fart next."

This just caused her to laugh even harder, at which point Mike couldn't help himself and cracked a smile. "Troublemaker," he muttered good-naturedly under his breath.

"Yes, but you like me anyway," El replied boldly.

Mike blushed a dark pink. "Yeah, I do," he said, his voice quiet but sincere. After a beat, he smiled at her and left her to get ready.

Once the smell of food reached El's nose, it didn't take her long to get dressed. Like yesterday, she put on a pair of denim shorts. But today, she wore a tank top with a short-sleeved flannel over it. She left the shirt unbuttoned, and tied the bottom ends together so it looked more fitted.

"Well well," Max drawled as El emerged from her bedroom minutes later, "If it isn't the sleepyhead."

"Yeah, it's about fucking time," Dustin said through his mouthful of food. "We need to start brainstorming.

Hopper glared at him over the rim of his coffee cup. "Language, kid. Let her eat first."

El's glanced over to the kitchen table where a large plate of Eggos sat, and her stomach growled. She made a beeline for the open seat next to Mike, grabbing a waffle and tearing into it.

Mike chuckled. "Somebody's hungry."

She hummed happily with her mouth full. "Mhmm."

Lucas, Dustin, and Will were watching her eat ferociously, a strange mixture of impressed and nervous on their faces. Hopper, Mike, and Max were well aware of El's tendency to eat Eggos at the speed of light. Therefore, they weren't concerned. The other three boys couldn't exactly say the same.

El happened to look in their direction in that moment. They clearly must have had weird looks on their faces, because her eyes bugged out of her face in embarrassment.

"What," she asked.

"I've just never seen anyone eat an Eggo that fast," replied Lucas. "I was afraid you were going to choke."

She smiled. "Oh, okay. I thought you guys might have thought it was weird."

"No way," Dustin said happily. "You could be a speed eater or something. If there was a contest to see who could eat the most Eggos in 5 minutes, I think you'd win."

"Don't give her any ideas," Hopper added. "She'd eat waffles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if she was allowed. No unlimited waffles," he said pointedly at her.

They all laughed at the pout that crossed El's face. She got over it though, as there were plenty of Eggos still to be had.

After a few more minutes of eating, El realized she hadn't heard a peep out of Will yet that morning. She smiled brightly at the boy eating quietly.

"Good morning, Will."

"Good morning, El," he replied with a shy smile.

"Are you okay," Max asked. "You're awfully quiet."

He set down his fork and dabbed at his mouth with a napkin before speaking. "Yeah, but I just can't help it. I keep thinking about yesterday."

A shudder went through the group like a ripple effect much to Will's chagrin.

"Shit, I'm sorry," he said morosely.

"First of all, language," Hopper said, a pointed glance in Will's direction. "Secondly, I understand. We need to find out what's going on so we can put a stop to it once and for all. In fact, I'm surprised the phone hasn't been ringing off the hook about more disappearances."

"Well don't jinx it, chief," Dustin said. "Do you want there to be more missing people?"

"Of course not, Henderson," Hopper replied with an eyeroll. "Did you think I had fun yesterday?"

Hopper took one last sip of coffee before doing a once-over of the cabin. He then turned to face the kids.

"As soon as I find out any news, I'm going to call and let you know. I'll try and get away as soon as I can to check on you but until then…do not leave this house and do not go outside for prolonged periods of time. Until we know that the kidnappings have stopped, you're safest in here. Got it?"

They nodded wordlessly.

"Good. There should be plenty of food and snacks in here. That being said, do NOT eat me out of house and home. The last thing I want is to have to spend hundreds of dollars at the grocery store because there's no food left," he said, shooting Dustin a pointed glance.

"Why did he only look at me," Dustin whispered to Lucas, who shrugged his shoulders in response.

"And lastly," Hopper began as he reached the door, "No funny business you two," he said, pointing at Mike and El.

The other kids snickered as Mike blushed, remembering their late-night activities.

"Why would we do anything when other people are here," El asked, a snarky tone to her voice. "If we were going to do something, wouldn't we wait for when we were by ourselves?"

Mike looked at her in shock as Hopper turned to face her slowly.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that," he said sternly. "Well then, I think there's a pretty easy solution." Looking at the others he said, "Kids, don't leave these two by themselves."

There was stunned silence that followed as Hopper opened the door and called back to them, "I'll check in soon." As soon as the door shut, however, the kids – minus Mike and El – burst out laughing.

"You heard him, kiddos," Lucas choked out. "No hanky-panky!"

"That's right," Dustin chimed in. "No jiggery-pokery."

Mike let out a huff in annoyance. "What the hell even IS jiggery-pokery?"

"It probably means no pokery in her jiggery, Wheeler," Max quipped, making a crude gesture by sticking a pointer finger through a circle made by her fingers on the other hand.

Mike and El blushed hard as the others half groaned, half laughed.

"That's kind of gross, Max," Will said with a grimace. "I don't want to think about my friends that way."

"It's fucking funny, though, Will. You've got to admit," Dustin said, still fighting laughter. "That was awesome, Max."

Max leaned over and high-fived him. "Thanks! I'll be here all week."

"Great, well now that we've gotten THAT out of the way," Mike interrupted loudly, "Can we please get to work on our game plan? We need to figure out what the hell is going on with everyone in this town – the kidnappings, Billy, and the lab."

"Hear, hear," Will agreed wholeheartedly. He was more than ready to make some progress on the items Mike mentioned.

Dustin held out his hands as though conceding. "Alright, fine. Does anyone have a piece of paper and a pen?

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I do," replied Lucas, scurrying over to where his bag sat.

"Jesus christ, Sinclair. You've got everything," Max said, impressed. "First a switchblade, now this. What's next, a Barbie doll," she cracked.

"Why the hell would he have a Barbie doll," Dustin asked quietly.

"Actually," Lucas began, "I do." After tossing the paper and pen on the table, he dug around until he found a Barbie dressed in a fashionable swimsuit. "It's my little sister's. I always keep one with me just in case we're out and she starts getting fidgety or something."

The others were stunned into silence.

"Wow," Mike said after a moment. "That's actually pretty cool. I should do that with my sister, Holly. It can be shitty if she's out somewhere and gets cranky. A toy might help."

Dustin smirked. "Lucas, you're telling me that doll ISN'T yours? It's your sister's? Come on…"

"Well, it's the truth," Lucas replied hotly. "Now are you guys ready to work or not?"

There was a brief pause and then slight murmurings in agreement as the kids scooted their chairs in. All the while, a certain redhead was looking a Lucas, a soft smile on her face. She really admired the fact that he looked out for his sister that way. That was the way a big brother should treat a little sister.

Billy had nothing on Lucas.

"So guys," Mike began as he grabbed the paper and pen, "Where do we start?"

* * *

After several hours of brainstorming, the kids needed a break.

So far, the only decent guess they'd come up with was that Billy was somehow possessed. He was alive, but definitely possessed by something. It explained why it was like he had a moral transplant – he certainly would not be kidnapping people if he was of sound mind. It would also explain his sickly appearance.

"Okay, but how is getting other people to follow his lead," Mike asked. "Are they possessed, too?"

"They definitely look like it," Will said. He had to suppress a shudder as he remembered how Billy and the others looked.

"So is Billy the one possessing them? And with what? Do you think the lab has anything to do with the possessions?"

El had been quiet through the brainstorming. She was most definitely a processer, someone thoughtful who digested information little by little. She wasn't going to speak unless she felt she had something valuable to contribute, and she hadn't.

Until now.

While they'd been talking, her dream from two nights ago popped back into her head. How could she have forgotten it? It was incredibly terrifying. But she wondered if there was any truth to it.

El replayed it in her mind – the creepy way Billy looked, the hulking shadow in the sky, the roar of the monster.

The monster…the same one she'd seen in the void the day she'd escaped the lab. They both sounded exactly the same. But could it be the same monster? Was the roar she heard while climbing through the pipe real too? It's possible that she could have still been hearing it in her head, but how could it have gotten into the lab?

Was it all a coincidence? Or was this where the connection lay?

"El? Are you okay?"

Mike's concerned voice brought her back to the kitchen table. Five sets of eyes were looking at her curiously, so she must have looked as pensive as she felt.

El nodded, took his hand in both of hers, and clasped it tightly.

"I have an idea."

* * *

**Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. It's been a beautiful weather week in my part of the world – I'm counting my blessings. I was also excited for two things: Season 4 of Stranger Things is not the end, and that production on Season 4 has been fully prepped. That means when they do start filming again, it will go even faster. But whenever that is, I hope everyone continues to stay safe. **

**Please leave me a review – I'd love to hear what you think. Personally, I don't think this chapter is super exciting, but maybe that's just me. Thanks for reading!**


	18. Chapter 17: Empty Spaces

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Empty Spaces**

_The monster…the same one she'd seen in the void the day she'd escaped the lab. They both sounded exactly the same. But could it be the same monster? Was the roar she heard while climbing through the pipe real too? It's possible that she could have still been hearing it in her head, but how could it have gotten into the lab?_

_Was it all a coincidence? Or was this where the connection lay?_

_"El? Are you okay?"_

_Mike's concerned voice brought her back to the kitchen table. Five sets of eyes were looking at her curiously, so she must have looked as pensive as she felt._

_El nodded, took his hand in both of hers, and clasped it tightly._

_"I have an idea."_

The silence following El's talk was deafening.

For his part, Mike was trying to be as supportive as he could. He kept his face neutral as he soothingly stroked El's hair – this was not about him right now – but inside, he was terrified. The idea of monsters out there – the thing from the void, the one in the sky from El's dream, and of course Billy – was like a punch to the gut.

Others were less subtle, however.

"Why didn't you ever tell me about how you escaped and the monster in the lab, El," asked Max firmly, her eyes filled with tears. "I know everything about you."

"I told you, Max, I didn't want to remember," El replied. "I was so scared."

"Shit, I would be, too," Dustin interrupted, tugging on his hat worriedly.

"But that wasn't the only monster that might be out there, right," Will asked. "You said there was like a shadowy monster in your dream."

El nodded. "Yeah. It kind of looked like a spider."

"Guys, do you think that means there's some giant spider in Hawkins," Dustin asked seriously. "Do you think it's eating people? Would we have seen it?"

"Don't be stupid, Dustin," Mike said with an eye roll. "I don't think giant spiders are in Hawkins."

"Right, because fake corpses and zombie armies are totally normal," Max snapped.

"Guys, shut up!" Lucas almost had to shout over everyone else. "Look, I don't want to play the bad guy here, but do we think this is actually plausible? No offense, El, but the monster in the sky could have just been part of your dream. And your mind could have been subconsciously thinking about what you saw in the void."

"But what about Billy," El replied. "He was in the dream. I hadn't been thinking about him, but he was there."

"Exactly," Mike agreed. "Then how do you explain Billy suddenly showing up? The morning after El's dream is when Max saw him across the street and when people started disappearing."

Max's eyes widened at the realization. "Holy shit," she muttered.

There was a brief pause before Mike spoke again. "El, remind me again…what exactly did Billy tell you in the dream?"

"He said that you would have just gotten in _his_ way. Then he pointed at the sky, and I saw the shadow monster. He said that I would see you soon enough, and that's," she trailed off, beginning to tremble.

"Hey," Mike whispered soothingly, "It's okay. We're safe." He pushed his chair back a bit and patted his lap. "Hop up."

El didn't need to be told twice. She eagerly sat on Mike's lap and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Being close to him always made her feel better, and she felt enough strength to continue.

"That's when I heard the monster from the void. It sounded exactly the same as I remembered."

"And you heard it in the void and while you were escaping," Will asked.

"Yes, in the void, but I'm not sure about the other time. Everything happened so fast, and I just wanted to get out of there," El said.

"Okay, so Billy said he thought Mike would get in the shadow monster's way," Lucas began, the wheels turning in his head. "Maybe it's not Billy we have to be afraid of. Maybe it's the shadow monster. Maybe the monster is the one possessing Billy."

The others began nodding as comprehension dawned on them.

"And if it's possessing Billy, maybe it's possessing the others," Will added.

"Including the monster from the void," Mike asked.

Will nodded. "Yeah, probably."

"Like the Mind Flayer," Dustin said after a moment, looking like he'd won the jackpot. One by one, the three other boys began sporting similar grins as the idea sunk in.

"Um, excuse me? What is a Mind _Flamer_," asked Max.

"Mind _Flayer_," corrected Dustin. "It's an ancient being from D & D that uses psychic powers to go after its victims. These psychic powers dominate the minds of the victims so they can carry out its will. And the smoking gun is that it communicates psychically and uses a hive mind to control lots of creatures."

"Lots of creatures," Max echoed in thought. But her expression turned horrified almost immediately. "Oh my god…do you think all the people who disappeared are possessed by this thing?"

"Yeah, I think they could be."

El hopped off of Mike's lap and stood determinedly. "We need to call Hopper and tell him."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," said Will. "Didn't he say not to use the phone?"

"No, he didn't," Lucas replied. "He just said not to leave the house or go outside. We can still make phone calls, especially something as important as this."

"Well, I don't know. Now that you mention it, Will, it _could _be dangerous to use the phone right now. If the lab is actually involved, they could be tapping our phones," explained Mike.

A sudden crinkling noise startled them all. They turned to see Dustin opening a wrapper of a Twinkie. "What," he asked, taking a huge bite.

"Jesus christ, Dustin. What the hell is wrong with you," asked Lucas.

Dustin shrugged. "I'm just eating. I was starving. What's got you so worked up anyway," he asked, using his half-eaten Twinkie to gesture.

"Are you fucking insane," yelled Max. "The government could be tapping our phones and you're just sitting there stuffing your face."

"What do you mean _could be_, they already are," he replied, nonplussed.

The other kids glanced at each other uneasily.

"Are you serious," asked Will.

Dustin popped the last bite of Twinkie in his mouth and nodded. "Yeah, I figured it out years ago. Haven't you guys heard the occasionally 'click' when you're on the phone? Why do you think I insisted we change our primary means of communication to walkie talkies?"

Mike cursed under his breath as the others let out various noises of displeasure. "What the hell do we do now," he asked.

"We just wait for him to come back, simple as that," Dustin said matter-of-factly. "Just write down what we have so far and let's move on." He paused for a moment and chuckled. "Jesus, sometimes I wonder why _I'm_ not the party leader."

"Because sometimes you don't know when to shut up," Mike snapped back, quickly jotting notes down on the piece of paper.

Will laughed awkwardly. "Well on that note, what's next?"

"I'd like to know where these monsters are coming from," Max said. "This Mind Flayer, where did it originate from?"

"Well that's the thing," Dustin began, "We don't know. The Mind Flayer is so ancient, that its true origins are unknown."

"Wonderful," Max griped. "What _do _we know about its origins?"

"Obviously it's from another dimension," he replied. At El and Max's surprised expressions, he continued, "What? You don't think something like that would be from _this _world, do you? No. A gate had to have opened somewhere."

El frowned. "What do you mean 'gate?'"

"Well, it's an opening or portal to another dimension. There are LOTS of different dimensions," Dustin explained. "It would have had to have been opened by a really powerful force. Once opened, there'd probably be a bunch of disruptions to gravity, the magnetic field, electricity-"

"Electricity," Will parroted quietly. The others turned to look at him and he continued. "Remember when we lost power during the night a couple days ago? Do you think maybe that's when the gate opened?"

"Maybe," said Lucas after a moment of thought. "But what about around the time when Billy disappeared? I think by now, we can all agree that he's connected to this somehow. Something must have happened then, too."

El was beginning to feel sick to her stomach as everything began to add up in her head: the date that Billy disappeared, seeing the monster in the void, the giant crack beginning to appear in the wall of the lab, and the roar she thought she heard while escaping. It was all too much.

Her vision went black and she crumpled to the ground.

There was a brief pause before the others were suddenly jarred into action.

"EL!"

"Holy shit."

"What happened?"

"Someone go get her some ice!"

Mike sat behind El on the floor and with Dustin's help, gently pulled her up so her head was resting in his lap. At the same time, Will dumped some ice from the freezer into a plastic bag and ran it over to them.

Mike gently held the bag of ice on El's forehead, moving it around to her temples, cheeks, and neck. Close to a minute later, her eyes fluttered open.

"Oh, thank god," he murmured as a collective sigh of relief went through the group.

Carefully, Mike helped her sit up. She immediately turned to wrap her arms around his neck and rested her cheek against his shoulder.

"El, are you okay," Max asked worriedly. "One second, you were alert. The next, you were on the ground."

"I know the last couple days have probably been super stressful," Will added. "I understand."

Mike's shoulder suddenly felt wet. He looked down to see silent tears streaking down El's face. "What's wrong," he asked, stroking her hair softly.

"I'm so sorry," she choked out. "It's all my fault."

"What's your fault?"

"The gate. I opened it."

The others looked at each other, uncertainty on their faces. "Are you sure, El," Lucas asked. "Remember what Dustin said. Stuff like that can only be opened by really powerful forces."

She nodded. "Yes. I was in the void when I saw the monster. Then as I was about to run, I saw the big crack in the wall of the lab. I'm starting to think the roar I heard after that was real. It was the same as what I'd heard in the void. I just hadn't put it all together."

Dustin looked pensive for a moment, then a realization struck him. "Compasses."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Do you guys have your compasses with you?"

Unsurprisingly, they all did.

"Okay, remember what I said about how if a gate opened up, there'd be disruptions to the magnetic field? Lay the compasses down and see what direction they point in," Dustin instructed.

After the four compasses were placed on the kitchen table, Dustin quickly studied them, a knowing smile on his face.

"I knew it," he whispered.

"Knew what," Will asked. "They're all pointing north. What's weird about that?"

"What's weird _William_ is that THAT'S true north," Dustin replied, pointing in a different direction. "Those compasses are not pointing towards true north."

"So, if we follow the compasses…" Lucas began.

"They _should _lead us to the gate," said Dustin.

The kids were stunned. It was like something out of a science-fiction novel. There was potentially a huge government cover up and a portal to another dimension in their little town, a dimension that held multiple monsters. One of those monsters was responsible for possessing and controlling Billy and countless other people in town.

Oh god, Billy.

El was struck with a sudden sense of despair. She turned to look at Max, who'd been silent for a while.

"Max, I'm so sorry," El whispered.

Max stared into space, simultaneously hearing El and not hearing her. She didn't really know what to think. All that was registering with her was that Billy disappeared because El opened some sort of portal to another dimension.

"Max-"

"No," Max replied quietly. "I really don't want to hear it right now."

"I didn't mean to do it, I swear," El cried, continuing anyway. "I don't even know why the monster appeared in the void anyway."

"SHUT UP," Max practically shouted. "Did you not hear what I just said? I don't want to hear it."

"Hey," Mike interrupted, "Don't talk to El like that. She didn't mean it. She was scared – wouldn't YOU be?"

Max glared at him, her hands on her hips. "Figures that you would defend her. Can't you separate your relationship from the situation at hand for just a second?"

"I am. I'm not trying to downplay everything you went through, Max. But do you really think El opened the gate on purpose? Does she strike you as the vindictive type? You're her best friend."

Max's face reddened, though they couldn't tell whether from embarrassment or anger. She didn't leave them much time to figure it out, because in the next moment, she stomped into El's room and slammed the door shut.

El let out a sob. Once again, she wrapped her arms around Mike's neck and rested her cheek on his shoulder. Mike did his best to try and calm her down, softly whispering words of encouragement to her.

"It'll be okay, El. I promise it'll be okay. She'll come around."

"She will," Dustin agreed. "Like Mike said, you guys are best friends. There's no way anything could get in between that."

"Except a brother who went missing and got possessed," El replied shakily. "I swear, I didn't mean to do it."

"We believe you, El," said Lucas. "What you saw in the void that day? It sounds terrifying. How could you have known what would happen?"

El wiped her eyes and tried to smile as best she could. "Thanks, Lucas." Looking over Lucas' shoulder, she saw Will smiling encouragingly at her.

"You'll be okay. I know you will," he said. "And Max will, too. I'm sure she's sad and in shock. That's okay – I know I would be. But like Dustin said, you guys are best friends. All she needs is a little time."

El nodded in understanding. If the situation were reversed, she could picture herself acting in a similar manner.

"So," Dustin began after a moment, "Do you guys want to continue or should we take a break?"

"I think we should take a break," Mike said tiredly. "We've made a lot of progress, but I don't want us to get burnt out."

The others agreed. They had plenty to work with for now anyway.

Since there were ingredients in the fridge for sandwiches, the kids decided to make some for lunch. As El was putting the finishing touches on her salami and cheese sandwich, she heard the secret knock sound on the front door. Using her powers to unlock it, they were soon greeted by the sight of Hopper walking through the doorway.

"Hey Chief," Dustin called out. "How was your morning?"

"Frustrating, Henderson. Thanks for asking," Hopper replied. He grabbed a bag of tortilla chips and some salsa from the fridge, and begin chowing down. Usually he had time for a donut with his coffee and contemplation. But there was no time, for either the donut or the contemplation. "What did you kids get up to?"

Well shit, where to begin?

"A lot, actually," Mike said, seriousness evident in his voice.

Mike's tone made Hopper look up from his chips and salsa. "Oh really? Care to explain?"

El glanced at Mike, who gave her a nod of encouragement.

"Dad, you might want to sit down."

* * *

**Happy Wednesday, everyone! Well, things are starting to move along with our friends in this story. I haven't yet figured out how many chapters this will total, but I do have a general plan of how things are going to go. I hope you're all enjoying the ride. I know I am. **

**So with any luck, filming of ST4 will begin again tomorrow. I just hope everyone stays safe and healthy and I trust their judgement. In the meantime, p****lease leave me a review. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks so much!**


End file.
